IC-NRLF 


157    ESS 


ohn  D.  Pierce 


A  STUDY  OF   EDUCATION  IN 
THE  NORTHWEST 


LIBRARY 

OF    THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

ClMS 


JOHN       D.      PIERCE 


JOHN   D.   PIERCE 


JOHN  D.   PIERCE 


FOUNDER  OF   THE 


MICHIGAN    SCHOOL    SYSTEM 


A  STUDY   OF   EDUCATION    IN 
THE  NORTHWEST 


BY 

CHARLES  O.  HOYT  AND  R.  CLYDE)  FORD 

PROFESSORS  IN  THE  STATE  NORMAL  COLLEGE, 

YPSIItANTl,  MICH. 


UNIVERSITY 
or 


YPSILANTI,    MICHIGAN 
THE   SCHARF  TAG,  LABEL  &  BOX  CO. 

1905 


COPYRIGHT,    1905,   BY 
CHARLES  O.  HOYT  AND  R.  CLYDE  FORD. 


"It  is  my  pride  to  have  been  one  to  help  lay  the  founda- 
tions of  our  present  school  system,  and  I  want  no  better 
monument  to  my  name  than  this." 


—JOHN  D.  PIERCE 


37 


TO 
MRS.     HARRIET     REED-PIERCE 

THE     VENERABLE      WIDOW      OF 
JOHN       D.    PIERCE 

AND     TO 
MRS.      MARY     A.    EMERSON 

HIS      DAUGHTER 

THIS      BOOK      IS      GRATEFULLY 
DEDICATED 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


PREFACE 

THE  chief  idea  underlying  the  preparation  of  this  volume 
has  been  to  present  to  the  people  of  Michigan  a  true  account  of 
the  life  and  work  of  John  D.  Pierce,  our  first  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction.  Almost  seventy  years  have  gone  since  he 
entered  upon  his  educational  work,  and  more  than  twenty  years 
since  his  death,  and  as  yet  no  adequate  study  of  his  career  has 
appeared.  His  memory  is  deserving  of  better  treatment  from 
the  generation  of  to-day,  and  if  this  book  shall  contribute  in  any 
way  to  bring  about  even  a  tardy  recognition  of  his  services,  its 
purpose  will  have  been  accomplished. 

It  is  only  proper  to  say  that  this  study  is  based  almost 
altogether  upon  original  material  which  the  writers  have  made 
use  of  for  the  first  time,  and  whatever  value  it  may  have  depends 
in  no  little  measure  on  this  fact.  The  task  of  collecting,  sifting, 
and  editing  the  data  has  been  a  difficult  one,  yet  one  which  has 
fully  compensated  for  the  trouble,  for  in  many  of  the  papers  and 
documents  yellowed  by  age  there  have  been  discernible  the 
motive  forces  in  the  life  of  a  great  man. 

Falling  as  Mr.  Pierce  's  labors  in  education  did  in  the  period 
coincident  with  the  beginnings  of  our  statehood,  it  has  been 
thought  desirable  as  an  introduction  to  his  life  and  work,  to  offer 
some  preliminary  observations  concerning  our  national  and  local 
educational  inheritances,  as  well  as  to  sketch  briefly  the  course 
of  Michigan  history  up  to  the  close  of  the  Territorial  days. 
What  Mr.  Pierce  did  to  establish  our  school  system  marks  an 


X  PREFACE 

epoch  in  the  civilization  and  culture  of  the  Northwest,  and  it  has 
seemed  only  proper  to  call  attention  to  those  forces  which  cul- 
minated in  his  achievements,  and  the  conditions  in  which  they 
were  wrought.  The  discussion  has,  therefore,  been  divided  into 
two  parts, — Part  One,  devoted  to  origins,  and  Part  Two,  given  up 
to  Mr.  Pierce  and  his  labors. 

In  this  connection  the  authors  wish  to  acknowledge  their 
obligations  to  many  people  who  have  contributed  facts  and 
material:  First,  to  Mrs.  M.  A.  Emerson,  and  Mrs.  Harriet  Reed 
Pierce,  of  Waltham,  Mass.,  without  whose  assistance  the  writing 
of  the  volume  would  have  been  impossible;  to  Miss  Jane  Hos- 
mer,  of  Concord,  Mass.,  Miss  Florence  B.  Graham,  of  Green- 
ville, Mich.,  Mrs.  Frink,  widow  of  the  late  Isaac  E.  Crary,  of 
Marshall,  Mich.,  Rev.  John  P.  Sanderson,  Lansing,  Mich.,  and 
to  Dr.  Daniel  Putnam,  of  the  State  Normal  College.  We  also 
wish  to  express  our  indebtedness  to  the  Hon.  Delos  Fall,  of 
Albion  College,  who  has  kindly  written  the  introduction  which 
follows,  and  who  did  so  much  himself  while  superintendent  of 
public  instruction  to  revive  interest  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Pierce. 

C.  O.  HOYT. 

R.  C.  FORD. 
YPSILANTI,  MICH.,  June  1,  1905. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.  PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 1 

PART   I.— ORIGINS 

I.    AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL  INHERITANCE          .        .  5 

II.    SKETCH  OF  EARLY  MICHIGAN  HISTORY         .        .  21 

III.  CULTURE  CONDITIONS  IN  TERRITORIAL  DAYS        .  31 

IV.  Two  DIRECT  SOURCES  OP  THE  MICHIGAN  SCHOOL 

SYSTEM 47 

PART  II.— JOHN  D.  PIERCE:  FOUNDER  OF 

THE  MICHIGAN  SCHOOL  SYSTEM 
V.    EARLY  YEARS  IN  NEW  ENGLAND    ....  56 
VI.    FIRST  YEARS  IN  THE  MINISTRY       ....  66 
VII.    WITH  THC  PIONEERS  IN  MICHIGAN         ...  73 
VIII.     SUPERINTENDENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION     .        .  79 
IX.    MR.  PIERCE'S  EDUCATIONAL  DOCTRINE— THE  IN- 
DIVIDUAL AND  THE  STATE 88 

X.    THE  MEANING  AND  AIM  OF  EDUCATION         .       .  96 

XI.    EDUCATIONAL  METHOD 103 

XII.    ORGANIZED  EDUCATION 114 

XIII.  THE  JOURNAL  OF  EDUCATION          .        .        .        .124 

XIV.  MR.  PIERCE'S  SECOND  APPEARANCE  IN  PUBLIC  LIFE  130 
XV.    LAST  YEARS 139 

(In  Part  Personal    Reminiscences  by 

Dr.  Daniel  Putnam.) 
XVI.     QUOTATIONS  FROM  MR.  PIERCE'S  EDUCATIONAL 

WRITINGS .       .  150 

BIBLIOGRAPHY .        .  153 

INDEX 157 

xi 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

JOHN  D.  PIERCE;  (From  a  Painting  in  the  Library  of  Olivet 

College) Frontispiece 

PAGE 

MRS.  HARRIET  REED -PIERCE  AT  THE  AGE  OF  NINETY -Six  4 

COAT  OF  ARMS  OF  THE  PIERCE  FAMILY      ....  30 

DIPLOMA  OF  JOHN  D.  PIERCE  FROM  BROWN  UNIVERSITY  60 

THE  PIERCE  OAK 80 

COMMISSION  OF  JOHN  D.  PIERCE  AS  SUPERINTENDENT  OF 

PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION 86 

JOHN  D.  PIERCE'S  HANDWRITING  IN  MIDDLE  LIFE          .  102 

THE  JOURNAL  OF  EDUCATION 124 

GRAVE  OF  GEN.  ISAAC  E.  CRARY 136 

GRAVE  OF  JOHN  D.  PIERCE  AT  MARSHALL,  MICH.           .  146 


xii 


I   UNIVERSITY  1 

^s£iu°cms\LX 

INTRODUCTION 


One  Easter  Sunday  the  writer  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  City 
of  Marshall,  Mich.,  and  visited  the  graves  of  two  men,  who  by 
their  services  to  the  state  were  more  than  ordinarily  distin- 
guished. One  grave  was  that  of  the  first  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction  of  Michigan,  the  one  man  to  whom  more  than  to  any 
other,  the  state  is  under  lasting  obligations.  To  him  must  be 
given  the  credit  of  laying  the  foundations  of  a  system  of  educa- 
tion which,  from  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the  state  constitu- 
tion to  the  present,  has  challenged  the  admiration  of  all  intel- 
ligent students  of  education.  The  grave  of  John  D. 
Pierce  is  marked  with  a  simple  monument,  upon  which  is 
inscribed  the  date  of  birth  and  death,  and  the  fact 
that  the  shaft  was  erected  by  the  pupils  and  teachers  of  the 
schools  of  Michigan.  Here,  then,  are  the  mortal  remains  of  the 
man  who  in  the  early  days  of  our  preparation  for  statehood, 
when  plans  for  the  future  were  to  be  outlined,  standards  erected 
and  a  general  educational  policy  adopted,  declared  that  he  would 
have  as  the  great  object  of  the  common  schools  "to  furnish 
good  instruction  in  all  the  elementary  and  common  branches  of 
knowledge  for  all  classes  of  the  community,  as  good  indeed  for 
the  poorest  boy  in  the  state  as  the  rich  man  can  furnish  his 
children  with  all  his  wealth." 

The  second  grave  visited  was  that  of  General  Isaac  K.  Crary, 
a  member  of  the  first  constitutional  convention,  and  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  education,  who  did  more  than  any  other  mem- 
ber of  that  body  to  give  form  to  the  educational  system 
of  the  state.  He  was  the  leader  in  a  movement  which  de- 
pended for  its  success  more  or  less  upon  political  methods,  and 
he  was  able  to  command  the  attention  of  the  convention.  It  may 


2  INTRODUCTION 

safely  and  consistently  be  said  that  without  the  timely  assistance 
of  Mr.  Crary,  many  wise  provisions  for  education  would  not  have 
been  adopted. 

There  are  three  names  which  every  teacher  in  Michigan 
should  learn  to  pronounce  in  logical  order,  and  with  a  due 
appreciation  of  their  worth  and  the  great  part  which  they  played 
in  the  formation  of  the  state,— Victor  Cousin,  Isaac  E.  Crary, 
and  John  D.  Pierce. 

The  first  one,  a  Frenchman,  was  born  in  Paris  and  educated 
at  the  Ecole  Normale.  Later  he  became  a  teacher.  During  a 
visit  to  Germany  in  1824-5  he  was  suspected  of  revolutionary 
tendencies,  and  sent  to  Berlin,  where  he  was  detained  for 
six  months.  On  his  return  to  France,  Cousin  was  elected  to  vari- 
ous important  offices,  and  after  the  revolution  of  1830  was  made  a 
member  of  the  Council  of  Public  Instruction.  In  1832  he  became 
a  peer  of  France,  then  director  of  the  Ecole  Normale  and  vir- 
tual head  of  the  University  of  France.  In  1840  he  was  appointed 
Minister  of  Public  Instruction  in  the  cabinet  of  Thiers.  He 
exerted  great  influence  upon  education,  not  only  in  his  own 
country  but  throughout  the  world.  His  efforts  were  directed  par- 
ticularly toward  the  organization  of  primary  instruction  along  the 
lines  of  the  report  which  he  had  made  concerning  the  conditions 
of  public  education  in  Prussia  and  Holland.  This  report  which, 
as  Dr.  Hinsdale  says,  "was  one  of  the  most  quickening  educa- 
tional documents  ever  written,"  appeared  first  in  England,  and 
later  in  this  country  only  a  year  before  Mr.  Pierce  took  charge 
of  educational  matters  in  Michigan. 

The  history  of  any  state  is  the  cumulative  history  of  the  suc- 
cessive generations  of  men  who  have  made  that  state.  In  each 
epoch  of  that  history  some  man  is  providentially  raised  up  who 
has  been  fitted  by  previous  preparation  to  meet  the  emergency 
of  the  hour,  and  provide  those  factors  which  are  needed  for  the 
advance  of  civilization.  So  it  has  been  with  the  commonwealth 
of  Michigan.  At  the  time  when  this  territory  was  knocking 
for  admission  into  the  family  of  the  states,  when  a  constitution 
was  to  be  framed  and  adopted  so  that  the  future  empire  between 
the  Great  Lakes  might  be  inducted  into  a  life  of  continual 


INTRODUCTION  3 

progress,  men  appeared  who  were  the  providential  instru- 
ments in  accomplishing  this  work.  John  Davis  Pierce  was  the 
man  for  the  hour,  and  in  his  previous  training,  in  the  breadth 
of  his  vision,  in  his  ardent  patriotism,  were  found  factors  which 
were  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  future  of  the  state.  And 
it  was  necessary  that  these  qualities  should  find  expression  in  the 
state  constitution,  for  without  them  the  cause  of  education  would 
have  been  hampered  throughout  all  succeeding  years. 

One  or  two  facts  will  clearly  show  the  close  relationship 
which,  through  a  sequence  of  cause  -and  effect,  connects  the 
three  names  already  mentioned  into  a  chain,  the  forging  of 
which  has  most  forcefully  aided  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  com- 
monwealth. M.  Cousin's  report  was  translated  and  circulated 
in  this  country.  A  copy  of  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Pierce 
and  Mr.  Crary.  Its  salient  features  were  incorporated  in  the 
constitution,  and  provisions  were  made  for  a  State  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction,  a  complete  system  of  elementary  schools,/ 
township  libraries,  and  a  state  university.  The  present  volume] 
deals  with  the  life  of  a  man,  whose  labors  were  destined  to  put) 
into  successful  operation  the  provisions  of  the  constitution.  How; 
well  he  wrought,  and  how  grandly  he  fulfilled  the  mission  which 
Providence  entrusted  to  him,  will  be  known  by  those  who  read 
the  pages  which  follow. 

The  results  of  Mr.  Pierce 's  labors,  when  viewed  in  the  per- 
spective which  nearly  seventy  years  give,  are  the  glorious  fulfill- 
ment of  a  prophetic  statement  made  in  his  first  annual  report: — 
"To  enter  upon  a  high  career  as  a  State  is  undoubtedly  an  object 
of  paramount  importance.  It  is  so  because  it  involves  the  repu- 
tation of  the  State,  and  also  the  highest  good  of  present  and  com- 
ing generations.  If  we  would  preserve  inviolate  the  sacred  prin- 
ciples of  liberty, — of  liberty,  civil  and  religious,  if  we  would 
hand  down  to  those  who  are  to  come  after  us  a  constitution, 
government  and  laws,  based  upon  the  essential  and  unperishable 
rights  of  man ;  if  we  would  rear  a  superstructure  of  elements 
more  durable  than  crowns  or  pyramids,  we  must  dig  deep  and  lay 
broad  and  permanent  the  foundation  of  knowledge  and  virtue." 

If  now  the  question  is  raised  as  to  whether  we,  as  the  direct 


4  INTRODUCTION 

beneficiaries  of  his  labors,  appreciate  as  we  ought  the  great  ser- 
vice rendered  by  this  man,  we  must  answer  that  toward  him,  as 
toward  many  another  man  of  great  and  beneficent  deeds, 
we  have  shown  that  ingratitude  for  which  states  and 
nations  are  proverbial.  A  small  and  inconspicuous  monument 
has  been  raised  over  his  grave,  his  portrait  hangs  in  the  execu- 
tive office  of  the  State  University,  and  with  that  the  record  of 
recognition  is  ended.  It  may  be  said  here,  however,  that  a  Com- 
mission consisting  of  the  present  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction,  two  ex-Superintendents,  and  two  City  Superinten- 
dents, has  been  appointed  to  inaugurate  a  movement  which 
shall  result  in  some  fitting  and  worthy  monument  to  his  memory. 


Albion  College, 


MRS.       HARRIET       REED 

AT    THE    AGE    OF     NINETY-SIX 


PART  I.    ORIGINS 

CHAPTER  I. 

AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL  INHERITANCE 

In  order  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  significance  of  the 
educational  work  of  John  D.  Pierce,  it  will  be  necessary  for  us  to 
know,  in  addition  to  our  knowledge  of  the  political  and  social 
conditions  of  early  Michigan,  something  of  the  ideals  and  con- 
ceptions of  education  prevalent  in  Europe  and  in  the  New  England 
states.  We  must  see  how  these  world  ideas  became  American 
ideals,  and  how  they  were  adopted  and  appropriated,  with  cer- 
tain modifications,  by  Mr.  Pierce,  and  used  by  him  as  the  fun- 
damentals of  the  Michigan  Public  School  System.  We  shall, 
therefore,  proceed  to  a  somewhat  cursory  examination  of  the 
facts  and  principles,  as  well  as  the  methods  that  seem  to  make  up 
our  educational  inheritance. 

A  nation  forms  ideals  which  are  expressed  in  institutions. 
Institutions  become  realized  ideals  as  soon  as  the  people  grow 
conscious  of  their  necessity,  and  see  in  them  a  means  for  the 
satisfaction  of  desires.  The  world  has  come  to  see  that  great 
national  events  or  achievements  are  not  the  result  of  chance  or  of 
some  unseen  and  unknown  force,  but  that  they  are  builded  upon 
and  grow  out  of  the  past.  Every  nation  inherits  the  ideals  of  its 
predecessors,  together  with  some  elements  of  institutional  life, 
and  with  this  endowment,  under  new  conditions  in  a  new  environ- 
ment, it  will  evolve  a  new  ideal  by  forming  new  associations  and 
organizations.  This  will,  in  turn,  be  transmitted  to  posterity,  and 
succeeding  generations  will  repeat  the  process.  A  dominant  life 
ideal  may  enter  into  the  consciousness  of  a  group  of  individuals 
with  such  intensity  that  freedom  and  independence  will  be 
expressed  in  the  peculiar  character  of  the  organized  State,  or  a 
religion,  expressed  by  a  particular  creed  will  be  realized  in  the 
established  Church,  but  in  order  to  perpetuate  this  ideal  and 
transmit  it  to  succeeding  generations,  it  is  necessary  that  a 


6  JOHN   D.   PIERCE 

system  of  education,  expressed  in  a   school,  be   well   organized. 

Less  than  three  hundred  years  ago,  certain  peoples  left  the 
parent  country  in  Europe  and  sought  an  abiding  place  in  the 
unbroken  wilderness  of  America,  where  they  hoped  to  erect  a 
new  hotne  for  themselves  and  their  posterity.  Bach  group  was 
actuated  by  its  own  controlling  motive,  and  was  more  or  less 
influenced  by  the  home  ideal.  Some  came  to  these  unknown 
shores  in  search  of  gold,  or  were  prompted  by  the  love  of  adven- 
ture. Some  hoped  to  found  landed  estates,  in  imitation  of  the 
home  model,  and  some  were  in  search  of  a  place  where  they 
might  be  free  to  think  and  act  as  their  consciences  dictated. 
There  were  governments  that  sent  their  emissaries  to  the  new 
land,  for  the  express  purpose  of  conquest  for  both  church  and 
state,  but  in  no  instance  have  these  European  countries  ever  con- 
tributed anything  to  American  civilization.  Our  forefathers, 
however,  remembered  the  past,  and  being  controlled  by  the  old 
associations  and  acting  under  the  influence  of  the  old  institutional 
life,  they  formed  new  institutions  and  looked  with  hope  into  the 
future. 

It  will  be  necessary,  therefore,  in  order  to  understand  the 
principles  governing  the  foundation  and  organization  of 
the  educational  system  in  America,  first  to  direct  our  attention  to 
the  fatherland  and  ascertain,  if  possible,  what  influences  sur- 
rounded these  people.  What  were  the  problems,  and  what  ideals 
of  education  prevailed  in  Europe  during  the  three  centuries  of 
our  American  life?  How  had  the  people  endeavored  to  realize 
them,  and  with  what  result?  If  they  had  failed,  can  the  cause  of 
this  failure  be  construed  into  a  motive  for  migration? 

The  controlling  tendency  in  Europe  was  a  movement  away 
from  authority  and  toward  individual  freedom, — the  development 
of  the  individual  by  means  of  voluntary  acts  originating  in  man 
himself,  rather  than  by  the  performance  of  acts  or  duties 
imposed  upon  him  by  an  outer  authority.  This  tendency 
found  a  definite  expression  in  four  ways,  and  resulted  in  the 
perception,  by  the  individual,  of  certain  fixed  principles  of 
life,  which  came,  at  last,  to  control  his  actions,  in  spite  of  the 
traditional  authority  of  church,  state,  or  school. 


AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL,  INHERITANCE  7 

a)  A  new  philosophical  method  was  discovered.  This  method, 
when  fully  comprehended,  was  employed  in  the  solution  of  all 
classes  of  life  problems,  and  was  applied  to  every  phase  of 
human  activity.  Descartes  (1596-1650),  starting  with  doubt, 
established  the  certainty  of  self,  and  demonstrated  the  dif- 
erence between  the  results,  upon  the  individual,  of  an  act  that 
was  self  active,  and  one  imposed  by  outer  authority. 

b}  The  development  of  science  and  a  new  scientific  spirit  and 
and  method.  While  this  was,  at  first,  bitterly  opposed  by 
theology,  it  gradually  wrought  out  a  revision  of  church  creeds, 
and  succeeded  finally,  either  in  working  reforms  in  the  old 
church,  or  in  establishing  new  ones. 

c)  Absolute    and   unlimited    monarchies   had    been   built    up, 
but,     with  the   growth   of     new    ideas    and  the  consequent 
development  of  man's  reason,   revolutions  became  frequent, 
and  absolutism  was  replaced  by  constitutional  governments. 
Thus  the  chasm  between  church  and  state  was  widened,   and 
a  greater  development  of  individuality  was  made  possible. 

d]  It  now  became  possible  for  the  common  people  to  come  into 
the  possession  of  a  great  ideal.     Each  individual  saw  the  pos- 
sibility of  seizing  upon  it,  and  making  it  his  own  by  realizing 
it  in  his  acts.  Everywhere  there  was  a  growing  demand  for  uni- 
versal and  public  education.     School  systems  with  new  and 
better    courses    were    organized,  and  new   books  and    better 
school  appliances  came  into  ready  use.      Great  teachers  were 
produced,    and   new  and  improved  educational   theories  and 
methods  were  evolved  aud  practically  applied. 

The  Discovery  of  America,  the  Copernican  System  of  Astron- 
omy, the  translation  of  Aristotle  into  the  vernacular,  and  the 
invention  of  printing  made  the  free  public  school 
necessary  and  possible,  and  marked  the  beginning  of 
modern  education.  In  Prussia,  the  people  took  the 
initiative  and  founded  schools  which  were  afterwards  organ- 
ized into  a  system  and  administered  by  the  sovereign  government. 
Under  lyouis  XIV.,  in  France,  the  state  originated  and  formu- 
lated a  system  which  was  imposed  upon  the  people.  In  America 


8  JOHN   D. 

the  people  soon  grew  to  kiiow  no  king,  and  refused  to  recognize 
any  right  other  than  that  of  the  individual  conscience,  as  it  was 
expressed  by  the  will  of  the  people.  Their  government  was 
organized  on  this  basis,  and  universal  education  was  the  only 
form  compatible  with  this  great  principle.  John  D.  Pierce 
expressed  this  ideal  when  he  said:  "L,et  free  schools  be  estab- 
lished and  maintained  in  perpetuity  and  there  can  be  no  such 
thing  as  a  permanent  aristocracy  in  our  land,  for  the  monopoly 
of  wealth  is  powerless  when  mind  is  allowed  freely  to  come  in 
contact  with  mind.  Children  of  every  name  and  age  must  be 
taught  the  qualifications  and  duties  of  American  citizens  and  learn 
in  early  life  the  art  of  self  control.  Therefore  education  must  be 
free  and  public,  and  ultimately  compulsory,  and  it  matters  not 
whether  the  school  maintenance  be  by  public  tax,  private 
means,  or  both."  a 

American  education  has  felt  the  direct  influence  of  three 
European  countries,  England,  France,  and  Germany.  In  the 
seventeenth  century  in  the  New  England  colonies,  English 
schools  and  systems  were  the  models.  The  force  of  French 
thought  and  realism  was  beginning  to  be  felt  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  while  the  dominating  influence  that  inspired  the  revival 
of  education  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  did  much  to  shape 
its  policy  was  of  a  distinctly  German  character. 

The  prevailing  thought  of  Europe  in  the  seventeenth  century 
regarding  education  was  the  development  of  a  new  philosophy  on 
a  non -scholastic  basis,  and  the  organization  of  a  school  system 
that  should  be  realistic  rather  than  humanistic.  The  first  pre- 
pared the  way  for  the  second,  and  the  second  applied  the  prin- 
ciples which  grew  out  of  the  first  movement.  Descartes  in 
France,  and  Comenius,  in  Germany,  were  representatives  of  each 
of  these  movements  respectively,  while  John  Locke,  in  England, 
in  attempting  to  harmonize  the  two  tendencies,  exerted  an  indirect 
influence  on  early  education  in  this  country.  His  theory  of 
the  development  of  the  human  mind,  if  accepted,  would  tend  to 
change  humanistic  into  realistic  methods,  but  his  was  a  sys- 

0)  First  Annual  Report,  1836,  page  31. 


AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL  INHERITANCE  9 

tetu  suited  only  to  royalty,  and  adapted  to  the  education  of  a 
gentleman;  it,  therefore,  found  little  favor  in  America,  and 
made  no  lasting  impression  upon  men  who  claimed  to  be  free 
and  equal.  Comenius'  system,  on  the  contrary,  when  under- 
stood, was  appreciated  and  adopted.  He  was  obliged  to  evolve 
his  doctrine  and  to  apply  the  same  in  the  midst  of  the  Thirty 
Years  War.  He  was  forgotten  but  afterward  discovered  and 
appreciated  by  the  Germans.  They  incorporated  his  ideas  into 
their  state  system,  and  in  this  way  his  influence  came  to  America. 
John  Amos  Comenius  was  a  member  of  the  Moravian  Brother- 
hood, a  sect  following  the  religious  teachings  of  John  Hus.  He 
was  born  in  Moravia,  in  1592,  and  died  at  Amsterdam  in  1671. 
He  was  educated  at  Herborn  College,  and  came  under  the 
influence  of  Ratke  through  the  teachings  of  John  Alsted.  He 
was  a  teacher,  a  pastor,  and  afterward  a  Bishop  in  the  Moravian 
Church.  He  suffered  exile,  afterwards  visited  England,  where 
he  mingled  with  the  great  scholars  of  that  country,  and  then 
repaired  to  Sweden  and  prepared  a  series  of  text-books.  Tradi- 
tion tells  us  that  he  was  at  one  time  called  to  the  Presidency  of 
Harvard  College.  Finally,  his  people  having  received  no  con- 
sideration in  the  Treaty  of  Westphalia,  he,  like  many  others, 
found  a  refuge  in  Holland,  and  here  he  spent  his  declining 
37ears  in  peace. 

His  educational  system  has  a  distinct  religious  basis — educa- 
tion being  regarded  as  a  preparation  for  eternity.  He  began  by 
attempting  to  reform  the  poor  methods  of  teaching  Latin,  in 
vogue  at  that  time,  and  by  going  to  nature  for  suggestions,  he 
finally  evolved  a  plan  for  a  system  of  universal  education.  He 
embodied  his  entire  system  in  the  Great  Didactic.  In  the  series 
of  illustrated  text-books  which  he  prepared,  he  showed  how 
the  child  could  be  led  from  the  study  of  meaningless  words 
to  the  study  of  real  things.  He  graded  the  schools  under  his 
charge  and  bequeathed  to  posterity  a  plan  for  a  system  in  which 
it  was  possible  for  a  child  to  advance  step  by  step,  from  the  most 
elementary  school,  to  the  university. 

He  wrote  and  thought  in  advance  of  his  age.  It  was  more 
than  a  century  afterward  before  Europe  was  ready  to  incorporate 


10  JOHN    D. 

his  ideas  into  an  educational  system,  and  still  another  century 
before  American  educators  were  ready  or  willing  to  adapt  and 
apply  any  of  his  principles  under  the  new  conditions.  A  com- 
plete English  translation  of  the  Great  Didactic  was  not  made 
until  1896,  although  it  was  originally  written  in  the  Czech  in 
1631,  shortly  afterward  translated  into  Latin  by  Comenius  him- 
self, and  subsequently  translated  into  the  German.  l 

The  revolutions  of  the  eighteenth  century  in  Church  ard 
State  were  necessary  before  the  idea  of  the  development  of  the 
individual,  anticipated  by  Comenius,  could  find  a  reception  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  or  become  realized  in  the  institutions  of 
church,  state,  or  school. 

The  seventeenth  century,  like  those  previous,  was  an  age  of 
extreme  institutionalism,  but  gradually  there  had  developed  a 
growing  tendency  toward  a  realization  of  the  worth  of  the  indi- 
vidual as  such.  This  led  naturally  to  the  consideration  of  great 
and  complex  social  questions.  France  seemed  to  be  the  best 
suited  for  an  attempt  at  a  solution  of  these  problems  and  the 
establishment  of  certain  empirical  principles.  The  conditions 
of  its  society  were  best  adapted  for  the  propagation  of  the 
principles  of  liberty  and  equality,  and  the  human  paradox,  Rous- 
seau, was  the  best  exponent  of  the  old  tendency  in  a  new  form. 

Jean  Jacques  Rousseau's  life  (1712-1778)  affords  an  example 
never  worthy  of  imitation,  yet  at  the  same  time,  one  the  good  in- 
fluence of  which  has  been  far  reaching.  His  purely  subjective 
individualism  reflected  the  social  life  of  his  time,  and  furnished 
the  world  a  striking  illustration  of  the  extreme  reaction  of  an 
individual  against  authority — the  triumph  of  the  supremacy  of  the 
feelings  over  reason  and  blind  submission. 

The  first  half  of  his  life  was  a  passive  or  dependent  one.  He 
lived  a  life  of  absolute  freedom,  and  performed  only  such  acts  as 
his  feelings  prompted.  He  associated  with  the  common  people, 
learned  to  feel  as  they  felt,  and  with  them  rebelled  against  the 
restrictions  of  a  corrupt  society,  and  chafed  under  the  bonds  of 
convention  and  propriety.  When  he  rebelled  and  lived  accord - 

1  Monroe— John  Amos  Comenius. 


AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL  INHERITANCE  11 

ing  to  Nature,  he  gave  the  world  a  great  object  lesson  in  indi- 
vidualism. 

The  second  half  of  his  life  was  productive,  or  creative.  He 
associated  with  people  of  high  estate  and  came  in  contact  with 
some  of  the  brightest  intellects  of  the  French  court.  He  responded 
to  the  impulse  to  write,  and  gave  expression  to  his  feelings  rather 
than  to  his  reason.  Accordingly,  in  the  Social  Contract  and  the 
Bmile,  although  expressed  in  paradox,  he  showed  how  he  would 
reform  society  by  educating  a  child  according  to  nature,  out  of 
society,  and  the  application  he  would  make  of  this  principle  to  the 
state  and  to  the  school. 

A  comparison  of  the  Social  Contract  .and  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  will  reveal  more  than  one  point  in  common,  while 
a  study  of  the  Kmile  will  show  that  he  anticipated  much  that  is 
accepted  today,  regarding  the  individual  development  of  the 
child,  according  to  nature. 

Rousseau  laid  bare  the  defects  and  abuses  of  the  society  and 
education  of  his  time,  and  demanded  reforms  in  the  direction  of 
truth  and  simplicity.  It  has  truly  been  said  of  him: — ' 'It  has 
been  given  to  few  men  to  exert  with  their  thought  an  influence 
so  deep  and  persuasive  as  that  of  Rousseau.  This  influence,  due 
to  the  fact  that  he  took  the  'motives'  which  were  'toiling  in  the 
gloom'  of  the  popular  mind  of  his  time,  and  made  them  flash, 
with  the  lurid  lightning  of  his  own  passion,  before  the  eyes  of  an 
astonished  world,  extended  to  all  departments  of  human  activity 
— philosophy,  science,  religion,  art,  politics,  ethics,  economics, 
and  pedagogy."  1 

The  central  figure  of  the  educational  influence  of  the  eighteenth 
century  was  Henry  Pestolozzi,  who  was  born  in  Zurich,  Switzer- 
land, in  1746.  With  him,  as  with  many  another,  the  right  man 
found  himself  in  the  proper  environment.  A  force  was  thus  gen- 
erated from  which  radiated  an  external  influence.  For  contem- 
poraries he  had  Kant  and  Hegel,  Goethe  and  Schiller,  Herbart 
and  Froebel,  Franklin,  Adams,  Jefferson,  and  Mann.  He  was 
among  the  first  to  study  educational  problems  on  a  psychologic 

1  Thomas  Davidson— Rousseau  and  Education  According  to  Nature,  p.  234. 


12  JOHN  D.   PIERCE) 

basis,  and  by  so  doing  he  anticipated  the  science  of  education, 
which  was  later  perfected  by  Herbart  and  his  followers.  His  first 
activity  was  in  his  little  school  for  poor  children  at  Neuhof.  It 
was  here,  after  the  failure  of  this  school,  that  for  twenty  years  "he 
lived  like  a  beggar,  that  he  might  teach  beggars  to  live  like 
men;"  it  was  here  that  he  wrote  Leonard  and  Gertrude.  This 
book  made  the  whole  of  Europe  conscious  of  the  need  of  a  social 
reform,  and  of  the  great  truth  that  education  is  the  only  means 
for  the  accomplishment  of  this  end.  We  next  see  him  as  the 
educator  of  the  orphans  at  Stanz,  where  he  learned  the  value  and 
place  of  industrial  education.  After  establishing  the  common 
school  at  Burgdorf,  and  exerting  an  influence  upon  Fellenberg 
in  the  founding  of  his  school  at  Hofwyl,  we  find  him  for  the  last 
twenty  years  of  his  life  as  the  educator  of  humanity  at  Yverdun. 
It  was  from  this  school  that  influences  radiated  to  every  country 
of  the  civilized  world  and  acted  as  potent  forces  in  reforming 
educational  method,  and  in  influencing  teachers  everywhere  to 
do  better  things  for  the  children. 

Pestalozzianism  offers  suggestions  along  two  lines:— practice 
and  theory, — practice  in  the  organization  and  supervision  of 
schools,  and  theory  in  the  methods  of  teaching  and  in  the  train- 
ing of  teachers. 

Fichte,  in  his  celebrated  Addresses  to  the  German  People,  in 
calling  attention  to  the  work  of  Pestalozzi,  shows  that  education 
for  all  of  the  people  is  the  only  means  by  which  a  nation  may 
become  free.  Queen  lyouise  reinforced  this  suggestion,  and  by 
her  influence  made  this  organization  possible.  From  hencefor- 
ward we  see  a  perfected  Prussian  Educational  System,  and  Com- 
enius  is  reinforced  by  Pestalozzi. 

German,  French,  and  English  tutors,  together  with  their 
pupils,  had  been  in  attendance  at  the  famous  school  at  Yverdun, 
and  upon  their  return  to  their  homes  had  done  something  to 
inaugurate  educational  reforms.  Americans  began  to  visit 
Europe  for  the  purpose  of  study  and  observation,  and  we  next  see 
these  various  influences  spreading  across  the  sea,  where  they  are 
to  operate  under  new  and  decidedly  different  conditions.  It 


AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL  INHERITANCE  13 

now  remains  to  be  seen  how  the  schools  of  the  United  States 
were  influenced  by  these  European  forces. 

The  educational  system  of  America  rests,  fundamentally,  upon 
our  peculiar  form  of  government.  How  did  the  young  republic 
in  the  western  hemisphere,  in  its  endeavors  to  establish  a  new 
and  hitherto  untried  form  of  government,  transform  and  adapt 
the  ideas  of  education  of  the  old  world  to  the  peculiar  conditions 
found  in  the  new?  One  may  well  wonder  how  the  national  ideal 
was  evolved.  At  first,  it  was  undetermined  and  was  imperfectly 
understood;  but  with  time  it  grew  so  strong  and  became  so 
prominent  in  the  consciousness  of  the  people  that  we  can  look 
about  us  today  and  see  its  full  and  perfect  realization. 

The  line  of  march  was  from  Europe  to  the  eastern  colonies, 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  Vir- 
ginia, and,  with  increased  facilities  for  transportation,  thence 
westward  to  the  Northwest  Territory.  The  people  of  the  new 
state  of  Michigan,  being  themselves  "Easteners,"  held 
pretty  definite  notions  as  to  schools  and  the  value  of  education. 
Their  ideas,  it  is  true,  were  the  European  thought  modified  by 
the  conditions  of  early  colonial  life  and  doubtless,  until  the  time 
of  Mr.  Pierce,  they  were  not  directly  influenced  iby  Europe. 
These  people  had,  however,  a  controlling  motive  in 
founding  a  school  system  by  modifying  other  systems  to  fit  the 
needs  and  conditions  peculiar  to  this  new  environment. 

In  order  to  understand  how  the  American  people  came 
into  possession  of  its  educational  inheritance,  it  is  neces- 
sary first  to  know  how  much  direct  influence  was  exerted  upon 
the  American  school,  and  the  sources  through  which  it  came; 
and,  in  the  second  place,  it  is  equally  as  necessary  to  know  how 
much,  that  is  regarded  as  American,  is  original.  We  shall  then 
be  prepared  to  understand  the  origins  of  our  system.  If  the 
nature  of  the  past  experience  of  the  pioneer  is  known  and  his 
motive  can  be  understood,  it  will  not  be  a  difficult  matter  to 
explain  his  acts  or  trace  the  steps  in  the  development  of  local 
institutions. 

It  has  already  been  shown  that  education  in  the  United  States 


14  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

had  felt  the  stimulating  inspiration  of  three  principal  Kuropeau 
educational  influences;  (1)  That  in  the  seventeenth  and  eight- 
eenth centuries,  through  the  entire  colonial  period  and  to  the 
War  for  Independence,  England  and  Holland  furnished  the  ideal 
and  suggested  the  means  which  dominated  the  inception  of  the 
school  system;  (2)  During,  and  immediately  subsequent  to,  the 
period  of  the  Revolution,  French  thought  and  institutions  modi- 
fied the  then  existing  schools  very  materially,  exerting  some 
influence  in  the  formation  of  new  systems;  and  (3)  in  the  nine- 
teenth century  German  schools  and  teachers  became  known  and 
different  plans  of  organization  and  improved  methods  of 
teaching  were  introduced  into  this  country.  In  this  way,  what 
may  be  called  the  American  Renaissance  in  Education  began. 
The  date  of  this  revival  may  be  placed  at  1837,  the  year  in  which 
Horace  Mann  became  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Education  in 
Massachusetts,  and  one  year  after  John  D.  Pierce  had  entered 
actively  upon  the  duties  of  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
in  Michigan. 

In  the  original  colonies,  the  forces  that  acted  in  the  founding 
of  schools  were  decidedly  different  as  to  motive,  and  exceedingly 
diverse  in  character.  In  New  York,  schools  were  first  established 
by  the  Dutch  and  for  many  years,  in  fact  until  the  time  when 
New  Englanders  began  to  move  westward,  they  were  conducted 
strictly  according  to  Dutch  models.  The  Swedes  founded  schools 
in  Delaware,  the  Germans  in  Pennsylvania  and,  after  the  Revo- 
cation of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  the  Huguenots  in  South  Carolina. 
Even  the  Moravians  founded  numerous  settlements  and  estab- 
lished schools  according  to  some  of  Comenius*  ideas. 
Such  a  settlement  was  founded  near  Detroit.  All  these 
schools,  however,  had  been  established  in  accordance  with  the 
ideals  of  these  various  nationalities,  and  they  exerted  little  or  no 
influence  upon  communities  of  English  descent.  Our  schools  were 
founded  and  developed  along  the  lines  of  English  tradition  and 
afterward  were  modified  by  the  other  European  systems.  The  Eng- 
lish people  continued  to  migrate  to  North  America  and  not  infre- 
quently sent  their  sons  and  daughters  to  Europe  to  be  educated. 

Without  doubt   the  New   England  Puritans  represented,  in  a 


AMERICA'S  EDUCATION AI,  INHERITANCE  15 

large  way,  the  ideas  and  ideals  that  prevailed  in  England  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  Tyler  says  regarding  them  that  "The 
proportion  of  learned  men  among  their  numbers  was  extraordin- 
ary. It  is  probable  that  among  them  in  those  early  days,  between 
1630  and  1690,  there  were  in  New  England  as  many  graduates  of 
Cambridge  and  Oxford  as  could  be  found  in  any  population  of 
similar  size  in  the  mother  country."1 

These  men  had  been  trained  in  I/atin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  math- 
ematics, rhetoric,  and  physical,  mental,  and  moral  science,  having 
been  prepared  for  the  university  in  the  English  grammar  school. 
How  natural  then  that,  in  the  founding  of  Harvard  College,  they 
should  attempt  to  reproduce  one  of  the  colleges  of  Cambridge 
University,  that  Eaton  or  Winchester  should  be  the  model 
for  the  grammar  school,  and  that  the  minister,  the  educated  man 
of  the  community,  should  act  in  the  capacity  of  a  tutor  in  prepar- 
ing a  boy  for  college. 

As  to  elementary  schools,  it  can  be  said  that  there  was 
no  considerable  number  until  it  was  ordered  that  in  every 
township,  where  the  number  of  householders  had  increased 
to  fifty,  there  should  be  appointed  some  one  to  teach  the  children 
to  read  and  write.2  No  such  ideal  as  this  was  to  be  found  in  the 
mother  country.  This  may  have  been  a  realization  of  the  con- 
ception of  elementary  education  with  which  Protestantism  had 
made  men  familiar.  Comenius,  as  the  champion  and  advocate  of 
modern  elementary  education,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  well 
known  in  England  and  why  not  in  America?  The  New  England 
Puritans  were  educated,  original,  and  inventive,  and  impelled  by 
a  tremendous  life  motive,  they  exercised  this  genius  by  put- 
ting into  operation  common  elementary  schools.  Fundamentally, 
these  schools  were  Michigan's  model.  In  many  ways  the  early 
conditions  of  Michigan  were  similar  to  those  of  New  England, 
and,  as  a  large  majority3  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  state  were 

1  History  of  American  Literature.    Vol.  1,  p.  98. 

2  Hiusdale.  Documents  Illustrative  of  American  Educational  History,    Report 
°f  the  Commissioner  of  Education— 1892-1893,  p.  1232. 

3  In  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1850,  of  the  96  delegates,  34  were 
born  in  New  England,  and  43  in  New  York. 


16  JOHN   D.   PIKRCij 

of  New  England  extraction,  how  natural  that  they  should  open 
schools  after  this  eastern  pattern. 

The  monarchical  and  aristocratic  governments  of  the  old  world, 
bound  up  by  the  traditions  of  ages,  did  not  afford  a  good  cul- 
ture ground  for  the  development  of  a  common  elementary  school. 
The  freedom  and  self  reliance  that  would  of  necessity 
be  developed  in  the  forming  of  a  new  civilization  in  a  new 
country  were  needful  for  such  an  institution.  The  subduing  of 
a  wilderness  and  the  erection  of  new  homes,  the  forming  of  a 
new  government,  with  a  firm  belief  in  its  perpetuation,  all 
demanded  the  elementary  public  school. 

America  came  into  immediate  contact  with  French  ideas  about 
the  time  of  the  War  of  Independence.  We  had  known  some 
thing  of  these  through  England,  but,  when  the  ties  with  the 
mother  country  were  broken  and  we  turned  to  France  for  assist- 
ance, cultured  men  of  science  began  to  visit  this  country 
in  the  spirit  of  scientific  observation.  Franklin,  Adams  and 
Jefferson  were  more  than  diplomats,  they  were  scholars  of  the 
highest  type  and,  being  held  in  high  esteem  at  foreign  courts, 
were  offered  every  facility  for  coming  into  close  relation  with  the 
best  in  science  and  literature. 

The  founding  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences 
in  1780  also  marks  an  important  step.  The  French  ideas  of  phil- 
osophy and  science  had  taken  too  firm  a  hold  on  American  life  to 
be  easily  dislodged,  and  their  effects  were  seen  and  felt  in  numer- 
ous ways.  Thomas  Jefferson  was  enthusiastic  in  regard  to  every- 
thing pertaining  to  education  and,  while  serving  as  minister  at 
Paris,  he  was  occupied  in  studying  educational  systems,  organi- 
zation of  schools,  institutions  of  higher  learning  and  courses  of 
study,  and  his  contributions  to  the  advancement  in  education 
were  of  the  highest  importance. 

The  story  of  French  influence  on  education  in  Michigan 
affords  us  an  interesting  chapter  in  our  history.  Hinsdale  says, 
"The  first  attempt  to  organize  education  in  Michigan  savors 
strongly  of  French  influence."  In  1817,  the  territorial  legisla- 
ture passed  an  act,  drawn  up  by  Joseph  Woodward,  to  establish 


AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL,  INHERITANCE  17 

the  Catholepistemiad,  or  University  of  Michigania.  Although  writ- 
ten in  an  extremely  pedantic  style,  this  was  a  plan  of  remarkable 
comprehension.  It  was  doubtless  suggested  by  the  University  of 
France,  which  was  founded  in  1806.  This  act  was  repealed  in 
1821  and  a  new  one  enacted  in  its  stead.  By  the  provisions  of 
this,  the  institution  was  named  the  University  of  Michigan. 
This  peculiar  legislation  was  marked  with  liberality  and  good 
judgment.  In  1837,  when  Michigan  became  a  state,  the  influ- 
ence of  Germany  began  to  be  felt  in  America,  and  we  shall  see 
that  the  Michigan  system  of  public  instruction  was  readjusted 
according  to  Prussian  ideas,  embracing  provisions  for  primary, 
secondary  and  higher  education,  supported  and  supervised  by 
the  state. 

It  would  be  a  difficult  task  indeed  to  give  any  kind  of  a  just 
estimate  of  the  extent  or  value  of  German  influence  upon  Ameri- 
can education,  in  the  organization  of  school  systems,  in  the 
modification  of  those  already  established,  and  in  the  reform  of 
courses  of  study  and  methods  of  teaching.  That  this  influence 
has  shown  itself  an  important  factor  in  our  educational  history, 
no  one,  who  has  given  the  subject  serious  attention,  will  deny. 

Dr.  Franklin,  who  visited  Gottingen  in  1766,  was  probably 
the  first  American  to  investigate  a  German  university,  and 
George  Ticknor  was  doubtless  the  first  American,  studying  in  a  r 
German  university,  who  has  left  us  an  account  of  his  work  and 
observations.  Many  other  names  might  be  included  in  the  list 
of  those  who  studied  at  Gottingen,  Halle,  or  Berlin  previous  to 
1837,  notably  those  of  Everett,  Bancroft,  Longfellow,  Motley, 
and  others.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  direct  German 
influence. 

In  1823,  Dr.  Cogswell  and  Mr.  Bancroft  founded  the  famous 
Round  Hill  School  in  Massachusetts,  and  this  was  the  first 
school  in  this  country  to  be  directly  influenced  by  German  ideas. 
This  school  was  opened  after  Dr.  Cogswell  returned  from  Eu- 
rope, where  he  had  visited  the  schools  of  Fellenberg  at  Hofwyl, 
and  Pestalozzi  at  Yverdun.  He  has  left  some  interesting  and 
valuable  statements  respecting  these  visits,  and  seems  to  have 


18  JOHN  D.   PIKRCE 

been  more  favorably  impressed  with  the  work  and  results  of  the 
former  than  with  the  latter  institution.  This  may  have  been 
due  to  the  intensely  practical  character  of  this  school,  and 
to  the  ideas  of  family  life  employed  in  its  management,  ideas 
which  he  afterwards  introduced  into  the  Round  Hill  School. 
He  said:  "There  was  the  greatest  equality  and  at  the  same  time 
the  greatest  respect,  a  respect  of  the  heart,  I^mean,  and  not  of 
fear.  Instructors  and  pupils  walked  arm  in  arm  together,  played 
together,  ate  at  the  same  table,  and  all  without  any  danger  of 
their  reciprocal  rights.  How  delightful  it  must  be  to  govern 
where  love  is  the  principle  of  obedience." 

The  Fellenberg  School  was  originally  agricultural  and  indus- 
trial in  its  charactei  and,  because  it  offered  the  suggestion  of  a 
self-supporting  school  through  the  work  of  the  pupils,  it  pre- 
sented many  ideas  for  the  founding  of  schools  of  this  character 
in  the  United  States.  Regarding  Pestalozzi,  he  said:  "I  do  not 
believe  his  system,  carried  to  the  extent  he  does,  is  the  true 
method  of  storing  the  mind  with  knowledge.  It  would  exclude 
memory  altogether  as  a  medium  of  instructing  and  make  use  of 
reason  alone,  which  is  absurd." 

It  is  evident  that  he  did  not  fully  comprehend  Pestalozzi 's 
educational  aims  or  methods,  and  it  was  necessary  that  they 
should  be  better  understood  before  any  permanent  influence  could 
come  from  this  source.  It  was  necessary  for  organization  to  pre- 
cede methods  of  instruction,  and,  so  it  was  not  until  1860,  that 
this  influence  directly  effected  our  schools.  Its  introduction  was 
due  to  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Sheldon  of  the  Oswego  Normal  School. 

In  1818-1819,  Prof.  John  Griscom,  of  New  York  City,  visited 
all  of  the  important  European  countries  and,  upon  his  return, 
embodied  the  results  of  his  observations  in  a  book  entitled:  "A 
Year  in  Europe."  This  report  had  an  indirect  influence  upon 
the  early  Michigan  System.  In  1838,  the  state  of  Ohio  commis- 
sioned Prof.  Stowe  to  study  the  foreign  school  systems.  His 
report  was  full  of  suggestion,  and  coming  into  Mr.  Pierce's 
hands  proved  of  no  little  value  to  him  in  his  later  work.  He  gave 
this  report  publicity  in  his  Journal  of  Education. 


AMERICA'S  EDUCATIONAL,  INHERITANCE;  19 

M.  Victor  Cousin's  Report  of  Public  Instruction  in  Prussia 
exerted  more  influence  than  any  other  upon  the  founding  of  the 
Michigan  school  system ;  in  fact  it  may  be  said  to  have  been  the 
model  used.  It  was  the  first  complete  and  comprehensive  report 
of  European  schools  that  had  been  available  to  the  English  reader. 
In  1831,  M.  Cousin,  at  the  instance  of  his  government,  visited 
Prussia  and  other  European  countries,  and  the  series  of  com- 
munications which  he  made  constitute  the  report.  In  1834,  it 
was  translated  into  English  by  Mrs.  Sarah  Austin  and  published 
in  London .  It  appeared  in  New  York  in  1835  with  a  preface 
prepared  by  J.  Orville  Taylor,  and  was  published  by  Wiley  and 
Long.  The  book  before  us  bears  this  imprint,  and  is  the 
identical  copy  which  was  owned  by  John  D.  Pierce,  and  which 
was  studied  by  Mr.  Crary  and  himself  as  they  sat  upon  a  log, 
back  in  the  pioneer  days,  in  the  city  of  Marshall,  and  planned 
our  school  system.1  It  is  very  evident  that  this  report  influenced 
them  to  a  great  extent.  This  becomes  more  apparent  when  one 
takes  the  trouble  to  compare  its  essentials  with  those  of  the  first 
constitution  of  Michigan,  or  with  Mr.  Pierce's  educational 
utterances. 

We  have  now  traced  the  source  of  many  of  the  ideas  that 
lie  at  the  foundation  of  our  educational  systems,  both  national 
and  state.  They  were  all  influences  that  were  felt  in  Michigan, 
either  directly  or  indirectly,  and  their  careful  consideration 
dispels  the  commonly  accepted  fallacy,  that  the  American 
School  System  was  of  a  spontaneous  growth,  indigenous  to  the 
soil,  or  that  it  was  evolved  or  invented  by  some  man  or  group 
of  men,  to  fit  the  needs  of  a  people.  Education  is  adaptation, 
and  in  every  instance  where  a  group  of  people  migrate  to  a 
new  land,  they  take  with  them  their  educational  ideas  and 
ideals.  The  adaptation  of  these  to  time  and  place  produces  the 
school  as  one  of  the  fundamental  institutions.  In  his  way  a 
new  ideal  is  evolved. 

In  1837,  certain   important  and   urgent   needs  were   evident 
i  See  Chapter  VIII. 


20  JOHN    D. 

in  the  country  and,  under  the  leadership  of  a  few  master  minds, 
they  were  met  and  satisfied.     There  was  a  demand  for: — 

1.  Something  looking  toward  a  better  and  more  perfect   organ- 

ization of  schools — including  better  supervision,  a  more 
complete  maintenance,  and  a  more  perfect  system  of  grad- 
ing. 

2.  The   establishment   of   agricultural,   industrial  and   manual 

training  schools. 

3.  Better  and  more  liberal  courses  of  study  and  better  methods 

of  instruction. 

4.  Trained   teachers   and   the   consequent   demand  for    normal 

schools. 

5.  District  and  public  libraries  and  better  text  books. 

The  educators  of  Europe  had  perceived  these  problems,  and 
such  men  as  Conaenius,  L,ocke,  Rousseau,  Franke,  Fellenberg 
and  Pestalozzi  had  offered  a  solution.  When  the  same  questions 
presented  themselves  to  the  pioneers  in  the  new  world,  the 
experiences  of  the  old  educators  were  adjusted  to  the  new  con- 
ditions by  the  alert  and  inventive  genius  of  such  men  as  Jeffer- 
son, Franklin,  Mann,  Barnard,  and  Pierce,  and  thus  was  wrought 
out,  in  our  public  school  system,  our  exceedingly  complex  edu- 
cational ideal. 


CHAPTER  II. 

SKETCH  OF  EARI/Y  MICHIGAN  HISTORY 

We  people  of  Michigan  pride  ourselves  on  being  a  sturdy  and 
self -reliant  folk.  We  are  proud  of  our  state,  both  for  what  she  is 
and  what  she  may  become ;  we  live  in  the  present  and  our  gaze  is 
fixed  on  the  future,  not  on  the  past.  Perhaps  this  explains  why 
we  have  a  seeming  disregard  for  our  traditions,  and  consequently 
no  real  appreciation  of  our  history,  or,  at  any  rate,  of  the 
romance  in  our  history.  For  it  is  true, — we  have  had  a  romantic 
past,  so  picturesque,  so  adventurous,  so  heroic,  that  it  deserves  to 
be  remembered  by  us  and  kept  fresh  in  the  remembrance  of  our 
children. 

Now  and  then  it  is  a  good  thing  for  us  to  take  stock  of  our 
inheritance,  and  try  to  realize  through  what  stages  of  progress 
we  have  risen  to  power  and  become  great.  We  are  not  so  very 
far  removed  from  our  political  beginnings — our  fathers  can 
remember  them,  and  our  grandfathers  achieved  them— yet  we 
can  scarcely  comprehend  the  changes  that  have  occurred  since 
that  time.  Nowhere  else  in  this  wide  world  was  the  ownward 
march  of  history  swifter,  or  carried  more  changing  conditions  in 
its  train,  than  in  the  Northwest,  in  the  nineteenth  century.  And 
if  we  turn  our  gaze  backward  a  little  further  into  another  century f 
we  find  ourselves  in  a  period  the  story  of  which  is  as  strange 
to  our  ears  as  if  it  were  the  chronicle  of  another  land. 

The  seventeenth  century  was  a  brilliant  age  for  Old  France, 
but  none  the  less  so  for  New  France  on  this  side  of  the  ocean. 
The  king  and  his  courtiers  at  home  might  gamble,  and  write 
verses,  and  frequent  the  drawing-rooms  of  beauties  and  blue- 
stockings, but  in  America  his  Majesty's  representatives  had 
more  serious  purposes.  They  gambled  only  with  the  hazards  of 
death  in  the  wilderness,  wrote  only  to  tell  the  story  of  their  suf- 
ferings, their  only  salons  were  the  log  houses  of  missions  and 

21 


22  JOHN  D. 

trading  posts,  and  the  wigwams  of  the  Indians.  Verily,  the 
pioneers  of  France  in  the  New  World, — priests  and  chevaliers, 
were  of  heroic  stamp,  and  they  left  their  names  not  only  as  land- 
marks in  the  geography  of  the  Northwest,  but  also  to  mark  eras 
in  its  history. 

In  the  year  1632,  Pere  Sagard,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  looked 
out  upon  the  waters  of  Lake  Huron,  the  first  of  that  splendid 
number  of  devoted  priests  who  did  such  valiant  service  in  the 
exploration  of  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes.  Nine  years  later 
Charles  Raymbault  and  Isaac  Jogues  penetrated  as  far  as  the 
present  site  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  and  were  followed  in  1660  by 
Me"nard,  who  boldly  skirted  the  southern  shore  of  Gitchee  Gumee, 
the  Great  Water,  as  far  west  as  the  northern  part  of  Wisconsin, 
where  he  died  the  next  year.  "I  put  my  trust  in  that  Provi- 
dence," he  wrote,  "which  feeds  the  little  birds  of  the  air  and 
decks  the  wild  flowers  of  the  wilderness." 

Menard  was  followed  in  1666  by  Claude  Allouez,  a  man 
equally  full  of  religious  zeal,  but  at  the  same  time  a  keen 
observer  and  explorer,  and  the  map  which  he  helped  make  of 
Lake  Superior,  under  the  name  of  Lac  Tracy ,  is  a  marvel  of 
accuracy  and  skill.  A  year  or  two  later,  at  Allouez's  request, 
came  Claude  Dablon  and  Jacques  Marquette,  and  the  Ottawa 
Mission  became  a  permanent  establishment,  with  its  center  on 
the  river  not  far  from  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior.  The  station 
was  called  Sainte  Marie  du  Sault,  in  honor  both  of  the  place 
and  of  the  faith,  and  was  without  doubt  the  first  real  settlement 
in  Michigan. 

The  beginnings  of  work  at  the  Sault  had  been  unostentatious, 
but  a  touch  of  pageantry  came  in  the  year  1671,  when  Monsieur 
de  Lusson,  representative  of  the  Governor -General  of  New 
France,  arrived  to  take  formal  possession  of  the  region.  The 
Indians  had  come  from  far  and  near,  and  in  the  council  house 
with  the  French  sat  fourteen  chiefs  who  listened  in  stolid  dig- 
nity to  the  proclamation  of  the  king.  On  a  height  over  the 
river  a  cross  was  raised,  and  the  arms  of  the  great  Louis  were 
tacked  upon  it.  Then  as  the  priests  sang  the  Exaudiat,  the 


SKETCH   OF  KARI,Y  MICHIGAN  HISTORY  23 

shield  of  France  was  suspended  above  it  all,  and  amid  the 
solemn  silence  that  fell,  Father  Allouez,  pointing  to  the  cross, 
said:  "It  is  He  of  whom  I  have  always  spoken  to  you,  and  His 
name  and  word  I  have  borne  into  all  these  countries.  But  look 
likewise  at  that  other  post  to  which  are  affixed  the  armorial  bear- 
ings of  the  great  chieftain  of  France  whom  we  call  king.  He 
lives  beyond  the  sea ;  he  is  the  chief  of  the  greatest  chiefs, 
and  has  not  his  equal  in  the  world.  ...  No  one  now 
dares  to  make  war  upon  him,  all  nations  beyond  the  sea  hav- 
ing most  submissively  sued  for  peace.  From  all  parts  of  the 
world  people  go  to  listen  to  his  words  and  to  admire  him,  and  he 
alone  decides  all  the  affairs  of  the  world."  1  Surely  the  Grand 
Monarque  could  have  wished  for  nothing  more  eulogistic  than 
this. 

But  in  the  same  year  that  the  king's  representative  at  the 
Sault  was  taking  possession  of  all  the  lands  west  of  Montreal, 
forces  were  at  work  which  were  to  interfere  seriously  with  the 
actual  occupation  of  this  part  of  New  France.  The  Ottawas,  and 
theHurons,  who  lived  around  the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes,  were 
beset  by  two  fierce  enemies,— the  Iroquois  on  the  east,  and  the 
Sioux  from  beyond  the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  Since 
late  in  the  year  1669,  Marquette  had  been  in  charge  of  the  mis- 
sion at  La  Pointe,  situated  not  far  from  the  present  city  of  Ash- 
land. In  the  spring  of  1671,  news  came  to  the  little  station  that 
the  terrible  Sioux  were  on  the  war  path,  and  the  Indians  living 
in  the  vicinity  were  panic  stricken.  They  did  not  think  of 
defense — flight  was  their  only  safety.  Accordingly  they  collected 
their  belongings,  burned  their  fields  so  that  they  might  not  suc- 
cor the  marauders,  and  to  the  number  of  several  hundred 
embarked  in  canoes  for  the  Sault.  After  a  short  stay  here  the 
Ottawas  proceeded  to  join  their  kinsfolk  on  Manitoulin  Island, 
while  the  Hurons  and  Father  Marquette  repaired  to  the  Island  of 
Michillimackinac,  lying  between  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Michi- 
gan, where  a  mission  called  St.  Ignace  was  already  in  existence. 
This  retreat  must  have  been  a  sorrowful  one  to  Marquette,  for  it 

1  Les  Relations  des  Jesuttes,  1670-1. 


24  JOHN   D.    PIKRCB 

meant  the  total  abandonment  of  a  hopeful  field,  which,  as 
Thwaites  says,  for  over  a  hundred  years  was  now  to  be  left  to  the 
fur  trader  and  the  savage.  l 

The  coming  of  Frontenac,  the  greatest  of  the  Governor-  Generals 
of  New  France,  in  1672,  marked  a  new  era  for  the  region  of  the 
Great  Lakes.  He  undertook  at  once  to  establish  military  posts  at  the 
Sault  and  at  Mackinac,  in  order  to  maintain  the  dominion  of  tbe 
crown  throughout  the  country  by  force,  if  necessary.  He  also 
began  a  war  to  the  death  upon  the  implacable  Iroquois,  who  had 
so  long  terrorized  the  eastern  borders  and  rendered  impassable 
the  waterway  of  Niagara  and  Lake  Erie,  leading  to  the  Far  West. 
Moreover,  he  entered  heartily  into  ambitious  schemes  of  explo- 
ration, and  it  was  with  his  encouragement  that  Joliet  and  Mar- 
quette  set  out  upon  a  quest  for  the  discovery  of  the  Father  of 
Waters. 

The  story  is  an  interesting  one.  On  the  17th  of  May,  a 
memorable  day  in  our  history,  they  left  the  mission  station  of  St. 
Ignace,  and  just  a  month  later  they  glided  down  the  smooth 
waters  of  the  Wisconsin  and  out  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  object  of  the  journey  was  now  achieved,  but  one  of 
the  discoverers,  Marquette,  was  destined  to  pay  for  the  experi- 
ence with  his  life.  His  privations  had  brought  upon  him  a 
disease,  which  though  fought  off  for  a  time,  at  last  struck  him 
down.  In  the  spring  of  1675, after  two  years  of  arduous  missionary 
work  among  the  Indians  of  the  Wisconsin  country,  he  launched 
his  canoe  once  more  upon  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan,  hoping 
if  possible  to  reach  St.  Ignace  to  die.  But  his  desire  was  not 
realized,  for  the  summons  of  death  overtook  him  on  our  beautiful 
west  shore,  somewhere  near  the  present  site  of  Ludington. 

With  the  crushing  of  the  Iroquois  in  New  York,  and  the 
defeat  of  the  English  before  Quebec  in  1693,  the  French  began  to 
plan  to  utilize  the  strategic  importance  of  the  Lake  Erie  route  to 
the  West.  In  the  summer  of  1679  La  Salle  had  reached  Mack- 
inac in  the  Griffon,  by  way  of  the  lower  lakes.  Hennepin,  who 
accompanied  him,  writes  enthusiastically  of  the  region  along  the 

1    Father  Marquette.    New  York.  1903. 


SKETCH   OF  BARIVY  MICHIGAN   HISTORY  25 

Detroit  River:— " The  llth  we  went  further  into  the  Streight, 
and  pass'd  between  two  small  islands,  which  make  the  finest 
prospect  in  the  World.  This  Streight  is  finer  than  that  of 
Niagara,  being  thirty  Leagues  long,  and  everywhere  one  League 
broad,  except  in  the  middle,  which  is  wider,  forming  the  lake  we 
have  called  St.  Clair."  l 

As  time  went  on,  the  advantage  of  a  post  at  this  point  became 
more  and  more  apparent,  and  in  1701,  Cadillac,  who  for  some 
years  previous  had  been  commandant  at  Mackinac,  brought  from 
Montreal  a  company  of  soldiers  and  workmen,  and  laid  the 
beginning  of  Fort  Pontchartrain,  later  known  in  our  history  as 
Detroit. 

The  French  occupation  of  the  country  of  the  Great  Lakes  was 
now  practically  complete,  the  three  posts  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie, 
Mackinac,  and  Detroit,  guarding  the  only  routes  by  which  the 
region  could  be  entered.  Still  this  occupation  did  not  mean 
development  in  any  real  sense,  and  the  next  three-quarters  of  a 
century  in  Michigan  history  beheld  no  permanent  conquest  of  the 
wilderness.  Coureurs  de  dots  and  voyageurs  penetrated  the 
interior  in  every  direction  to  barter  with  the  Indians,  a  few  more 
soldiers  and  traders  came  to  Mackinac  and  the  Sault,  and  up  and 
down  the  river  near  Detroit,  the  white  log  cabins  of  a  few  habitant 
farmers  began  to  show  against  the  background  of  the  unbroken 
forests ;  but  this  was  not  settlement  that  weighed  much  in  the 
destinies  of  the  land.  Detroit  alone  grew,  and  yet  not  without 
great  difficulty,  for  the  military  regime  was  tyrannical,  and  the 
inhabitants  were  burdened  with  feudal  obligations  and  traditions. 

But  there  were  other  forces  at  work  which  made  the  French 
occupation  in  the  West  precarious  and  unsuccessful.  The  Eng- 
lish were  beginning  to  encroach  upon  the  trade  of  the  country. 
The  Indians,  too,  under  the  constant  scheming  and  allurements 
of  the  English,  were  getting  restless  and  impatient.  When  the 
final  struggle  should  come  for  the  supreme  control  of  the  con- 
tinent, the  French  were  not  to  be  in  a  position  to  hope  much 

1  The  second  London  edition  of  Father  Hennepin's  A  New  Discovery  of 
a  Vast  Continent,  1698. 


26  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

from  their  western  posts,  since  with  these  it  was  a  struggle  for  their 
own  preservation. 

At  last  there  came  the  trial  of  strength,  a  life  and  death 
grapple  between  two  different  races  and  civilizations.  First 
Quebec  fell,  then  Montreal,  and  with  it  all  Canada.  It  seems 
that  Vaudreil,  the  Governor-General,  had  counted  some  on  a 
stubborn  defense  beyond  the  Lakes,  but  on  the  29th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1760,  the  lily-emblazoned  flag  of  France  was  pulled  down  at 
Detroit,  and  with  the  surrender  of  the  place  passed  away  the  last 
vestige  of  the  sovereignty  of  New  France.  Though  it  was  not  till 
1763  that  the  treaty  between  France  and  Kngland  was  signed, 
which  definitely  disposed  of  the  French  possessions  east  of  the 
Mississippi,  Michigan  actually  came  under  British  rule  with  the 
taking  of  Detroit,  the  only  settlement  in  all  the  country  of  the 
Great  Lakes  at  all  worth  a  struggle. 

As  we  have  indicated,  it  had  never  been  the  policy  of  the 
French  crown  to  develop  or  colonize  the  western  country.  This 
is  all  the  more  evident  when  one  remembers  that  after  more  than 
a  hundred  years  of  contact  with  the  region,  there  was  nothing  to 
show  for  it  at  its  surrender  except  a  few  mission  stations  among 
Indians  that  were  growing  worse  rather  than  better,  and  some 
scattered  military  posts,  which  did  not  contain  more  than  3,000 
white  inhabitants,  all  told. 

The  farmers  along  the  Detroit  River  could  hardly  grow  enough 
to  feed  the  garrison,  and  transportation  was  still  by  means  of 
batteaux  and  canoes,  for  there  was  not  a  sail  on  the  Great  Lakes. 
Spiritual  needs  had  been  provided  for,  but  not  so,  intellectual 
needs,  and  hardly  ability  enough  could  be  found  to  draw  up  and 
attest  properly  the  legal  documents  of  the  settlement.  And  the 
printing  press?  There  was  none  in  Michigan,  as  Judge  Cooley 
says,  for  the  simple  reason  that  there  was  none  in  all  New 
France.  l 

But  half-hearted  and  listless  as  had  been  the  efforts  of  the 
French  at  colonization,  conditions  were  not  materially  improved 
during  the  first  years  of  British  control.  No  attempts  were  made 

1  Michigan — A  History  of  Governments.    Boston,  1899. 


SKETCH  OF  3URI,Y    MICHIGAN  HISTORY  27 

to  conciliate  the  French  settlers,  or  secure  new  ones,  and  the 
management  of  the  Indians  was  characterized  by  lack  of  intel- 
ligence, sympathy,  and  tact,  The  result  came  in  the  sudden  out- 
burst of  savage  fury  on  the  part  of  Pontiac  and  his  minions,  which 
in  1763  swept  the  whole  Northwest,  and  almost  succeeded  in 
annihilating  the  English  power.  Pontiac  had  reserved 
Detroit  for  his  own  vengeance,  since  it  was  within  easy  reach  of 
his  village,  yet  by  rare  good  fortune,  of  all  the  fortified  outposts 
in  Michigan,  Detroit  was  the  only  one  that  was  able  to  withstand 
the  shock.  Treachery,  from  which  the  Indians  had  hoped  so 
much,  proved  here  their  own  undoing. 

Michigan  was  not  an  active  field  of  operations  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  though  the  inhabitants  of  the  scattered  settlements 
watched  the  progress  of  events  with  eager  interest.  Nevertheless, 
the  authorities  at  Detroit  were  constantly  at  work  arousing  the 
hostility  of  the  Indians,  and  even  fitted  out  marauding  expedi- 
tions and  scalping  parties  to  prey  on  the  remote  American  settle- 
ments in  the  Ohio  valley.  Nor  did  the  capture  of  Hamilton, 
I/ieutenant  Governor  of  Detroit,  at  Vincennes,  by  Clark,  and  his 
subsequent  removal  to  Virginia,  in  irons,  succeed  in  putting  a 
stop  to  this  guerrilla  warfare.  In  1780,  Captain  Bird,  of  notorious 
fame,  headed  an  expedition,  made  up  in  part  of  Detroit  militia, 
that  ravaged  a  portion  of  Kentucky,  but  though  the  excitement 
in  the  eastern  colonies  was  raised  to  fever  heat  by  the  outrages,  no 
campaign  against  Detroit  was  attempted. 

By  the  treaty  of  1783,  which  concluded  the  war,  it 
was  recognized  that  Michigan  lay  within  American  ter- 
ritory, but  the  British  made  no  move  to  evacuate  any  of  the 
forts.  The  commanders  at  Detroit  and  Mackinac  were  not  notified 
by  their  government  that  any  change  of  sovereignty  had  taken 
place,  and  in  spite  of  protest  and  remonstrance  they  continued  to 
hold  these  important  places  till  1796. 

In  the  meantime  Congress  proceeded  to  make  arrangements 
for  the  government  of  the  newly  acquired  region,  as  if  there  were 
no  question  as  to  possession.  In  1787  the  whole  district  north  of 
the  Ohio  was  organized  into  a  territory,  with  General  St.  Clair  as 


28  JOHN   D. 

gorernor.  But  administration  was  not  easy.  The  increasing  tide 
of  immigration  from  the  eastern  states  began  to  make  the  Indians 
feel  uneasy  and  insecure;  and  the  British  did  all  in  their  power 
to  turn  this  feeling  into  animosity.  Open  hostility  came  in  the 
year  1790,  and  the  infant  territory  was  exposed  once  more  to  all 
the  horrors  of  border  and  savage  warfare.  In  two  preliminary 
campaigns  the  American  forces  suffered  humiliating  defeat,  but 
in  1794,  General  "Mad  Anthony"  Wayne  succeeded  after  a 
desperate  battle  in  crushing  the  Indian  power  completely.  When 
finally  the  British  reluctantly  handed  over  Detroit,  it  was  Wayne 
who  took  command.  Michigan  was  now  for  the  first  time  really 
a  part  of  the  United  States. 

The  Ordinance  of  1787,  under  which  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory was  organized  was  a  great  document,  and  worthy  of  the 
genius  of  statesmen.  "No  charter  of  government  in  the  history 
of  any  people  has  so  completely  withstood  the  tests  of  time  and 
experience,"  is  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Cooley.1  And  as  one  reads, 
he  can  readily  see  that  it  was  well  calculated  to  infuse  new  life 
into  the  Northwest.  Feudal  traditions,  absolutism,  disregard  of 
human  rights  and  needs,  which  had  characterized  the  white  man's 
rule  for  a  century  and  a  half,  were  now  to  give  way  to  enter- 
prise, ideals  of  progress,  and  assertion  of  individual  freedom. 
The  third  article  alone  fully  sustains  Dr.  Hinsdale's  claim2  that 
the  Ordinance  should  be  ranked  with  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence as  "one  of  the  most  memorable  documents  that  passed 
the  doors  of  the  old  Congress."  I/et  us  quote  the  part  which 
refers  to  education— a  prophecy  which  was  later  to  be  realized  so 
thoroughly  in  the  work  of  that  great  pioneer  educator  who  is  the 
subject  of  this  volume: — 

"Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge,  being  necessary  to  good 
government,  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the 
means  of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged." 

The  new  order  of  things  was  destined  to  reach  Michigan  last. 
The  century  was  almost  gone  before  the  English  withdrew,  and 

1  Michigan— A  History  of  Governments.    Boston,  1899. 

2  The  Old  Northwest.    New  York,  1888. 


SKETCH    OF  «ARI,Y   MICHIGAN  HISTORY  29 

Indian  troubles,  which  generally  had  their  origin  in  British 
machinations,  continued  for  some  years  to  retard  settlement. 
Detroit  was  still  the  only  point  of  any  importance,  and  it 
had  as  yet  made  no  real  progress.  In  the  year  1805  when 
Michigan  was  set  off  from  Indiana  and  made  into  a  territory  by 
itself,  the  total  white  population  of  the  whole  region  was  not 
reckoned  to  exceed  4,000  souls. 

The  first  Governor  of  Michigan  Territory  was  General  William 
Hull,  a  man  who  had  made  an  excellent  record  in  the  East,  but 
was  unfitted  in  every  way  to  cope  with  the  problems  in  the 
strenuous  life  of  the  frontier.  And  his  assistants  in  the  govern- 
ment were  refractory  and  jealous.  The  Indians  under  Tecumseh 
were  verging  toward  open  hostility,  and  on  the  horizon  could  be 
heard  the  mutterings  of  war.  The  place  demanded  a  man  of  iron, 
and  Hull  was  a  man  of  straw. 

It  was  evident  from  the  beginning  that  the  coming  struggle, 
unlike  the  Revolution,  would  involve  the  country  of  the  Great 
I/akes,  and  measures  were  at  once  taken  by  the  Government  to 
defend  Detroit  with  a  large  force.  This  Army  of  the  Northwest, 
as  it  was  called,  was  put  in  command  of  General  Hull.  After 
various  blunders  and  grandiloquent  proclamations,  and  a  feint  at 
an  invasion  of  Canada,  not  quite  two  months  after  war  was  de- 
clared, Detroit  was  surrendered  to  the  British  without  firing  a 
shot.  It  was  not  in  the  face  of  overwhelming  odds,  or  after  a  long 
siege,  or  because  of  the  temper  of  the  troops.  From  a  military 
point  of  view  the  chances  of  success  were  good.  But  here  let  us 
take  the  words  of  the  Detroit  Gazette  l  of  the  year  1819:— 

"It  is  rational  to  suppose  that  nothing  less  than  a  miracle 
could  have  saved  the  British  army  from  capture  or  destruction. 
At  such  a  moment,  when  the  arm  of  the  patriot  was  nerved  for 
contest,  when  the  enemy  which  he  had  eagerly  sought  was  before 
him,  under  circumstances  so  favorable,  and  he  exulting  in  a 
proud  triumph  for  his  country,  with  what  agonized  sensations 
did  he  behold  a  white  flag  floating  over  the  Star -Spangled 
Banner!" 

1  Reprint  by  C.  M.  Burton,  Detroit,  1904. 


30  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

History  has  not  rehabilitated  the  character  of  General  Hull. 
Benedict  Arnold  earned  the  odium  of  his  countrymen  because 
he  was  a  traitor,  and  General  Hull  because  he  was  a  coward. 

During  the  next  year  Michigan  paid  dearly  for  the  calamities 
at  the  commencement  of  the  war.  The  hand  of  the  English 
from  Detroit  rested  heavily  on  the  desolated  Territory,  and  the 
infamous  massacre  of  the  Raisin,  in  January,  1813,  was  only  a 
sequel  of  the  story.  But  with  Perry's  victory  on  Lake  Erie,  a 
change  came.  General  Harrison  and  his  army  could  now  be  con- 
veyed to  Canada.  On  the  5th  of  October,  1813,  was  fought  the 
Battle  of  the  Thames,  which  avenged  the  ignominious  surrender 
of  Detroit,  the  woes  of  the  British  occupation,  and  the  horrors  of 
the  River  Raisin.  Michigan  ceased  to  be  a  contested  ground, 
and  was  now  ready,  after  long  waiting,  to  enter  upon  its  heritage 
of  progress. 


Tpi^ 


EiRCE     COAT     OF     ARMS 


COAT       OF      ARMS       OF       THE       PIERCE      FAMILY 


CHAPTER  III. 

CULTURE   CONDITIONS   IN   TERRITORIAL   DAYS 

On  the  29th  of  October,  1813,  General  Lewis  Cass  was  made 
governor  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan,  with  his  capital  at  Detroit. 
This  appointment  was  extremely  fortunate  for  the  development  of 
the  vast  and  unknown  region,  for  the  new  governor  was  intel- 
ligently alive  to  its  needs  and  possibilities.  In  order  that  the 
Territory  might  be  opened  up  to  exploration  and  settlement  as 
speedily  as  possible,  he  at  once  began  to  negotiate  treaties  with 
various  Indian  tribes,  by  which  their  title  to  extensive  tracts  was 
extinguished,  and  a  way  thus  inaugurated  for  the  operation  of 
government  land  laws.  Of  course,  the  first  step  toward  inducing 
settlers  to  locate  in  the  Territory  was  to  be  able  to  assure  them  of 
the  legality  of  their  holdings. 

As  early  as  1812,  an  act  of  the  general  government  had  set 
aside  two  million  acres  in  Michigan  as  bounty  lands  for  soldiers, 
but  when  at  the  end  of  the  war,  surveyors  entered  upon  the  task 
of  defining  these  grants,  they  reported  the  country  of  southern 
Michigan  a  swampy,  pestilential  region,  with  not  one  acre  .in  a 
hundred  fit  for  human  habitation.  A  second  examination  seem- 
ingly confirmed  this,  and  in  1816  the  law  was  amended  so  that 
the  claims  of  soldiers  might  be  satisfied  by  lands  in  Illinois  and 
Missouri.  Such  reports,  no  doubt,  helped  to  delay  actual  set- 
tlement for  a  few  years,  nevertheless  the  surveys  went  on.  In 
1817  the  sale  of  as  small  parcels  as  eighty  acres  was  authorized, 
and  the  next  year  there  were  lands  in  the  Territory  on  the  mar- 
ket. In  1820  the  minimum  price  was  changed  from  two  dollars 
an  acre,  as  it  had  been  fixed  in  1796,  to  a  dollar  and  twenty-five 
cents,  and  in  1830  the  right  of  pre-emption  was  given  to  actual 
settlers. 

To  further  facilitate  matters    of   administration  and  pave  the 

31 


32  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

way  for  the  beginning  of  popular  government,  General  Cass  com- 
menced at  once  to  lay  out  counties  and  road  districts.  The 
General  Government  was  induced  to  make  an  appropriation  lor 
the  building  of  a  semi-military  road  around  the  western  end  of 
L/ake  Erie,  from  Sandusky  to  Detroit,  and  within  the  Territory 
itself  a  few  great  highways  were  constructed.  One  notably,  the 
old  "Chicago  Pike,"  from  Detroit  to  Chicago,  was  destined  for 
many  years  to  serve  as  a  channel  along  which  rolled  a  mighty 
tide  of  colonization  westward. 

Another  factor  which  contributed  greatly  to  encourage  settle- 
ment was  the  revolution  wrought  by  steam  in  the  navigation  of 
the  lakes.  On  the  27th  of  August,  1818,  the  first  steamboat 
reached  Detroit,  and  it  was  not  many  years  before  there  was  a 
daily  service  during  the  summer  months  between  Buffalo  and 
points  west.  This  increase  in  the  facilities  of  transportation  on 
Lake  Erie,  coupled  with  the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  in  1825, 
made  the  journey  from  New  York  and  New  England  compara- 
tively easy,  and  people  were  attracted  more  and  more  by  the 
opportunities  awaiting  them  in  the  wilderness.  By  the  year 
1830,  Michigan  could  boast  a  population  of  31,639,  as  compared 
with  8,765  in  1820,  and  4,762  in  1810,  certainly  a  substantial  and 
significant  gain.  In  the  fifteen  years  that  had  elapsed  since  the 
close  of  the  war  more  had  been  done  to  promote  the  real  develop- 
ment of  the  country  of  the  Great  Lakes  than  in  all  the  two  hun- 
dred years  preceding.  It  was  evident  now  that  statehood  was 
not  far  off. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  discuss  at  any  length  the  political 
evolution  of  the  commonwealth.  But  in  order  to  appreciate  the 
conditions  under  which  our  educational  beginnings  were  made 
and  gradually  transformed  into  a  vital  part  of  our  theory  of  state 
government,  it  may  be  well  worth  while  to  try  to  convey  a  notion 
of  what  pioneer  life  was,  and  of  the  cultural  and  social 
elements  which  manifested  themselves  in  our  civilization  between 
1825  and  1840,  when  the  Territory  was  waking  from  its  lethargy, 
and  taking  upon  itself  the  dignity  of  an  integral  part  of  the 
nation. 


CULTURE  CONDITIONS  IN  TERRITORIAL,  DAYS  33 

The  pioneer  inhabitants  of  Michigan  are  almost  entirely  of 
native  American  stock,  largely  from  New  York  and  New  Eng- 
land. And  this  was  fortunate.  A  sturdy  vigor  was  needed  to 
conquer  the  wilderness,  and  a  correct  appreciation  of  the  obliga- 
tions of  the  individual,  society,  and  government,  such  as  pre- 
vailed in  our  Eastern  states,  was  necessary  to  form  the  founda- 
tion of  an  enduring  civilization  in  the  new  land.  In  the  early 
days  of  the  territory  the  French  element  naturally  predominated. 
The  habitants,  on  their  neat  little  farms  along  the  Detroit  River, 
were  a  thrifty,  contented,  but  unprogressive  folk.  And  the  good 
burghers  of  Detroit,  many  of  whom  could  boast  of  aristocratic 
and  blue  blood,  were  for  the  most  part  satisfied  to  live  in  the 
complacent  ease  of  their  own  traditions.  There  was  nothing  in 
the  descendants  of  the  old  re'gime  calculated  to  wrest  a  state 
from  the  grip  of  primitive  conditions.  These  people  hated 
nothing  so  much  as  taxes,  to  paraphrase  Judge  Sibley,  and 
would  rather  vegetate  undisturbed  in  their  own  little  communities 
than  contribute  to  the  support  of  a  free  government.  In  1818  the 
possibility  of  having  a  legislative  assembly  for  the  Territory  was 
lost  through  the  hostility  of  the  French  vote. 

But  the  Yankee  settlers  were  different.  There  was  nothing  so 
precious  to  them  as  law  and  order,  and  the  blessing  of  organized 
government.  And  they  brought  into  the  woods  of  Michigan  the 
same  ideas  and  ideals  that  their  fathers  had  fought  to  preserve 
in  the  trying  years  of  the  Revolution,  and  they  themselves  had 
contested  for  in  1812.  Their  new  life  in  the  West  was  an 
arduous  one,  full  of  privations  and  discouragements,  and  we  of 
this  generation,  who  stand  on  the  threshold  of  the  most  remark- 
able century  in  human  history,  have  no  adequate  idea  of  their 
sacrifices.  But  there  they  are, — those  years — three-quarters  of  a 
century  agone,  and  in  them  lie  the  beginnings  of  our  institutions. 

Detroit,  which  did  not  reach  a  population  of  2,500  till  after 
1830,  was  the  gateway  by  which  most  of  the  settlers  came  into  the 
Territory.  They  arrived  here  by  boat  after  a  week's  voyage  from 
Buffalo,  unless  they  were  fortunate  enough  to  come  by  steamboat, 
or  after  a  long  and  dreary  overland  journey  through  Canada. 
From  this  point  they  pushed  on  into  the  interior,  usually  along 


34  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

one  of  the  two  or  three  routes:  northwest,  toward  Poiitiac  and 
Flint,  or  westward  on  the  old  Chicago  road,  or  toward  the  south- 
west in  the  direction  of  Adrian.  When  the  roads  failed,  they  fol- 
lowed trails  if  they  could,  or  made  their  own  way  with  a  guide. 
As  late  as  1836  it  took  two  weeks  to  go  from  Detroit  to  Battle 
Creek,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  year  a  week  was  necessary  to  make 
the  trip  from  Plymouth  to  Detroit  and  return. 

The  conveyance  was  usually  a  covered  wagon  drawn  by  oxen. 
In  it  were  all  the  pioneer's  worldly  possessions, — household 
goods,  provisions,  farming  tools,  seed  for  the  first  crop.  If  the 
new-comer  was  well-to-do  he  brought  with  him  a  cow  or  two, 
and  a  few  fowls  crowded  into  a  box.  On  the  more  travelled  parts 
of  the  route  he  and  his  family  stopped  at  night  at  some  tavern 
which  increasing  immigration  into  the  Territory  had  called  into 
existence.  Later,  when  night  overtook  them,  they  camped  by 
the  wayside  and  cooked  their  meals  in  the  open  air.  In  this  way 
they  reached  the  scene  of  their  new  home.  But  let  us  quote  the 
story1  of  such  a  journey  begun  October  1,  1825: 

"The  Erie  Canal  was  not  yet  completed.  At  Lockport  the 
goods  of  our  party  were  landed  and  transported  seven  miles 
around  the  unfinished  part  and  reshipped.  At  Buffalo  they 
shipped  on  board  the  steamboat  Pioneer  for  Detroit,  where  they 
arrived  just  one  week  from  the  time  they  started.  Detroit  at  that 
time  was  a  little  old  French  town,  containing  at  most  but  a  few 
hundred  inhabitants.  Five  years  later  it  had  by  the  census  but 
2222. 

"Our  pioneers  left  their  families  in  Detroit  and  proceeded  to 
view  their  lands  and  provide  means  to  get  their  families  to  them. 
But  few  days  were  spent  in  this,  and  soon  all  were  shipped 
aboard  a  small  boat  and  were  floated  and  rowed  down  the  Detroit 
River  to  the  mouth  of  the  River  Rouge.  They  were  rowed  and 
towed  up  this  to  the  Thomas  settlement,  about  ten  miles  from 
Detroit.  From  thence  they  were  transported  by  a  wagon  drawn 
by  three  Indian  ponies,  owned  by  Alanson  Thomas,  to  the  house 

1  "My  Recollections  of  Pioneers  and  Pioneer  Life  in  Nankin,  Mich,,"  by 
M.  D.  Osbaiid. — Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections.  Vol.  14. 


CUI/TURE  CONDITIONS  IN  TERRITORIAL  DAYS  35 

of  Benjamin  Williams,  on  the  south  side  ot  the  river,  near  the 
west  line  of  the  town  of  Dearborn,  where  the  two  families  got 
accommodations  till  houses  could  be  built  on  their  lands. 

"My  father,  by  the  aid  of  his  hired  man,  was  able  to  get  his 
house  in  a  condition  that  justified  moving  into  it  Jan.  5,  1826,  but 
it  was  then  without  doors  or  windows.  A  pack  of  wolves  occupied 
it  the  night  before,  and  dug  in  the  ashes  and  gnawed  the  bones 
left  of  the  workmen's  dinner." 

In  1833  a  party  of  63  persons  left  New  York  State  for  what  is 
now  Ionia,  Mich.  This  is  the  narrative: — l 

"This  company  left  German  Flats,  Herkimer  County,  New 
York,  April  25,  on  the  boat  Walk-in-the-  Water,  of  Utica.  This 
boat  was  propelled,  or  rather  towed,  by  horses,  the  company  hav- 
ing five.  A  small  stable  was  in  the  bow  of  the  boat  for  their 
accommonation.  The  cabin  was  located  in  the  stern  with  the 
kitchen,  the  midships  being  used  for  dining  hall,  sleeping  place, 
and  storage  of  goods.  They  reached  Buffalo,  May  7,  where  the 
boat  was  disposed  of.  A  vessel  called  the  Atlantic  was  chartered 
to  take  the  great  bulk  of  the  goods  to  Grand  Haven.  At  Detroit 
this  boat  received  a  supply  of  flour  and  pork  .  .  .  and  then 
proceeded  to  its  destination.  There  was  at  that  time  at  Grand 
Haven  a  small  block  house. 

"The  families,  with  horses,  wagons,  and  a  few  of  the  most 
necessary  goods,  took  passage  on  the  steamer  Superior,  reaching 
Detroit  May  10.  On  the  12th,  having  everything  in  readiness,  the 
caravan  started,  a  covered  wagon  to  each  family.  My  impression 
is  that  there  were  two  horses  and  four  ox  teams.  When  night 
came  it  was  sometimes  necessary  to  pitch  a  tent,  perhaps  a  tent 
for  each  family.  They  reached  Pontiac,  May  14th,  Fuller's  in 
Oakland  County  on  the  15th,  and  Gage's  on  the  16th.  They 
camped  in  the  woods  on  the  17th,  were  at  Saline  on  the  18th  and 
19th,  and  camped  out  from  the  26th  to  the  28th.  A  part  of  the 
way  it  was  necessary  to  cut  their  own  road.  During  the  last 
stage  of  ftie  journey  a  child  of  Samuel  Dexter  was  taken  sick  and 

i  "The  First  Settlement  of  Ionia."  by  P.  H.  Taylor,  Michigan  Pioneer  and 
Historical  Collections,  Vol.  14. 


36  JOHN    D.    PIERCE 

died  while  the  wagons  were  moving.  The  company  came  to  a 
halt  near  or  at  Muskrat  Creek,  where  the  babe  was  buried.  The 
death  and  burial  of  this  child  was  the  one  marked  event  of  the 
whole  journey. 

"On  May  27th  the  company  reached  Grand  River,  near 
Lyons;  forded  the  river  and  travelled  across  the  prairie  to  Gen- 
eroville,  where  they  again  forded  and  camped  for  the  night.  On 
the  morning  of  the  28th  they  started  again,  following  an  Indian 
trail  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  crossed  Prairie  Creek  very 
near  where  the  dam  now  is,  and  came  to  their  final  halt  before 
noon,  having  been  on  the  road  from  Detroit  from  the  12tn  to  the 
28th." 

Frequently  the  settler  came  to  a  log  house  already  prepared. 
More  often,  however,  one  had  to  be  built  after  arrival  on  the  site 
of  the  homestead.  In  the  case  of  the  company  whose  Odyssey 
we  have  quoted  at  such  length,  bark  wigwams  which  were 
bought  from  the  Indians  sheltered  the  people  till  they  erected 
cabins  of  their  own. 

As  a  rule,  the  log  house  of  the  early  days  was  an  unpretentious 
structure.  There  are  log  houses  in  the  state  yet,  but  such 
as  still  do  service  for  dwellings  are  regal  in  their  appointments 
compared  with  the  typical  cabin  of  three-quarters  of  a  century 
ago.  DeTocqueville,  a  famous  French  student  of  American 
institutions,  in  1831  spent  what  he  called  "Quinze  Jours  au  Desert 
— Two  Weeks  in  the  Wilderness" — in  Michigan,  and  has  left  us 
a  description  of  the  usual  settler's  home.  It  was  thirty  feet 
long,  twenty  feet  wide,  and  fifteen  feet  high,  with  one  room  and 
one  window;  a  fireplace,  over  which  hung  a  rifle  and  a  deer  skin; 
on  the  wall  a  map  of  the  United  States ;  near  by  on  a  shelf  a  few 
miscellaneous  books,  among  which  was  a  much-worn  Bible,  and 
sometimes  a  copy  of  Milton,  or  Shakespeare;  the  furniture  a 
rickety  table,  some  boxes,  and  a  few  rude  chairs;  in  a  corner 
leaned  some  agricultural  implements,  and  a  bunch  of  grain  or 
seed  corn  dangled  from  the  rafters. 

This  coincides  with  another  picture  left  us  by  a  pioneer.  l 

1  "My  Recollections  of  Pioneers  and  Pioneer  Life  in  Nakin,  Michigan." 
by  M.  D.  Osband — Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections.,  Vol.  14. 


CULTURE;  CONDITIONS  IN  TERRITORIAL  DAYS  37 

'  'Judging  by  my  recollections  the  house  was  18x24  feet  on  the 
ground.  I  have  spoken  of  the  walls  and  roof.  The  cracks  be- 
tween the  logs  were  stopped  by  triangular  pieces  of  wood  fitted 
and  fastened  in,  and  they  were  all  plastered,  outside  and  inside, 
with  clay  mud.  This,  if  properly  done,  effectually  prevented  any 
circulation  of  air  through  the  walls.  The  house  was  built  011  the 
south  bank  of  the  river  and  fronted  south.  It  had  but  one  out- 
side door — located  in  the  middle  of  the  south  side.  There  was 
one  twelve-light  window  of  7x9  glass  in  each  of  the  sides.  The 
door  was  a  battened  one,  and  it  and  the  windows  and  their  case- 
ments were  stained  red.  The  brick  fireplace  and  hearth  were  in 
the  middle  of  the  east  end;  an  iron  crane  hung  to  the  north 
jamb,  suspended  from  which  were  several  pot  hooks,  on  which 
the  kettles  were  hung  when  used  in  cooking.  The  bricks  of  the 
fireplace  were  laid  in  clay  mortar.  The  ground  story  contained 
but  one  room;  this  room  was  used  for  kitchen,  dining-room, 
bedroom,  and  parlor,  and  sometimes,  as  was  common  with  us,  for 
a  shop.  In  cold  weather  my  father  brought  his  work-bench  into 
the  house  whenever  he  had  sash  or  doors,  coffins,  or  other  small 
articles  to  make." 

"In  the  southeast  corner  stood  a  ladder  leading  to  the  attic. 
The  dishes,  and  other  culinary  apparatus,  together  with  a  chest 
holding  provisions,  were  kept  in  the  northeast  corner.  The  two 
west  corners  held  each  a  bed,  with  a  trundle  bed  under  one  of 
them.  A  trap  door  in  the  floor  led  to  the  cellar.  The  kitchen 
table  set  against  the  north  wall,  and  over  it  hung  the  looking- 
glass.  Between  the  bed  and  against  the  logs  at  the  west  side  of 
the  room  stood  a  cherry  bureau,  a  leather-covered  trunk,  and  a 
candle  stand.  Standing  about  the  room  were  a  half-dozen 
straight-back,  splint-bottom  chairs,  including  a  large  and  a 
small  rocker,  several  three-legged  stools,  and  a  cradle.  This 
last  article  was  as  indispensable  among  the  pioneers  as  else- 
where, in  every  thrifty  family.  This  particular  one  was  made  by 
my  father  of  white  wood  boards,  and  after  the  most  approved 
plan  of  the  times.  ...  In  time  of  use,  the  flax  and  wool 
spinning  wheels  were  also  on  this  floor.  At  other  times  they 
were  both  in  the  attic." 


38  JOHN   D.    PIKRCK 

"Suspended  from  a  beam  overhead  by  two  hooks  hung  the 
trusty  flintlock  rifle.  Hanging  against  the  south  wall,  east  of  the 
window,  were  during  the  cold  season,  halves  and  quarters  of 
venison.  Strips  nailed  to  the  undersides  of  the  beams  overhead 
were  frequently  covered  by  small  pieces  of  lumber  used  in  mak- 
ing sash,  axe  helves,  gun-rods,  etc.,  and  were  utilized  by  my 
mother  as  a  convenient  place  for  drying  fruit  in  the  season." 

The  real  trials  of  pioneer  life  came  in  the  first  years  before 
the  clearing  of  the  farm  had  progressed  very  far.  Salt  pork  and 
flour,  relieved  somewhat  by  wild  game  and  fruits,  were  the  staple 
provisions,  and  when  these  failed  they  could  be  replaced  only  by 
a  long  journey  to  some  trading  post  or  store,  and  at  prices  that 
were  almost  prohibitory.  If  things  went  well,  and  ague  did  not 
incapacitate  the  newcomer,  he  might  succeed  in  getting  land 
enough  cleared  by  the  second  year  to  raise  a  small  crop  of  wheat, 
corn,  and  potatoes,  but  when  harvest  time  came  it  was  a  serious 
problem  to  convert  the  little  grain  thus  gained  into  flour,  Says 
the  Hon.  George  Willard: — l  "To  illustrate  the  inconvenience 
arising  from  the  distance  of  mills  from  most  of  the  early 
settlers,  and  the  difficulty  of  reaching  them  when  there  were  no 
roads  and  bridges,  a  former  resident  of  my  own  city  .... 
who  settled  on  Climax  prairie  in  1831,  relates  that  he  was  nine 
days  in  going  and  returning  from  the  nearest  grist  mill,  located 
at  Flowerfield,  in  St.  Joseph  County." 

"Judge  Sands  McCamly,  the  pioneer  of  Battle  Creek,  was 
obliged  to  use  the  grit  of  pounded  corn  for  his  family  bread  sup- 
ply, but  requiring  a  change  of  diet  for  an  invalid  son,  he  made 
three  journeys  of  fifty  miles  each  to  John  Vicker's  mill  at  Vicks- 
burg  .  .  .  before  his  effort  proved  successful.  As  late  as 
July,  1836,  I  recall  a  somewhat  trying  experience  with  the  flour 
question.  The  barrel  brought  from  the  East  to  the  log  cabin  in 
Battle  Creek  township,  was  empty.  Not  a  pound  of  flour  or  meal 
was  to  be  bought  or  begged  in  the  neighborhood.  The  last  short- 
cake had  been  baked  and  eaten,  and  the  head  of  the  family  .  .  . 

1  "The  Making  of  Michigan." — Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collec- 
tions. Vol.  17. 


CUI/TURK  CONDITIONS  IN  TERRITORIAL  DAYS  39 

had  repaired  to  the  nearest  mill,  located  at  Marshall.  The  place 
was  thronged  with  pioneers  on  the  same  errand.  No  flour  was  to 
be  obtained  by  purchase  except  what  came  from  the  miller's  toll, 
and  this  was  divided  among  the  waiting  crowd  at  intervals  with 
rigid  impartiality.  After  waiting  until  the  second  day  my  father 
received  his  share,  for  which  a  liberal  price  was  paid,  and  returned 
home,  a  distance  of  thirteen  miles  with  just  thirteen  pounds  of 
flour.  Bread  has  never  in  my  life  tasted  quite  so  well  as  the  few 
loaves  sparingly  made  at  intervals  from  that  grist." 

Another  early  settler  of  Branch  County  adds: — "Then, 
1831,  we  pounded  our  corn  in  a  hominy  block,  and  when  I  went 
to  mill  the  round  trip  made  150  miles,  and  when  I  wanted  a  bar- 
rel of  salt  I  had  to  go  to  Detroit,  making  the  round  trip  240 
miles." 

Sickness  was  the  pioneer's  worst  enemy.  As  long  as  he  kept 
his  health  he  was  usually  able  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door, 
but  once  he  or  his  family  was  stricken,  the  prospect  was  appalling. 
DeTocqueville  was  impressed  by  this  fact.  He  reported  the  fol- 
lowing conversation  with  the  inn  keeper  at  Pontiac: — 

"I  said  to  him:  The  soil  of  all  forests  abandoned  to  them- 
selves is  swampy  and  unhealthful.  Does  not  the  pioneer  who 
exposes  himself  to  the  miseries  of  solitude  endanger  his  life?" 

"  'The  clearing  of  the  land  is  a  dangerous  enterprise,' 
replied  the  American,  'and  it  is  almost  always  the  case  that  the 
pioneer  and  his  family  fall  victims  to  the  fever  of  the  woods. 
Sometimes,  when  one  is  travelling  in  the  fall  one  may  come  upon 
a  cabin  where  everybody  is  down  with  the  fever,  from  the  settler 
to  his  youngest  son.'  " 

"And  what  becomes  of  these  unfortunates  thus  afflicted  by 
Providence?" 

' ' '  They  resign  themselves  to  their  fate  and  hope  for  better 
things.'  " 

"But  do  they  not  hope  for  any  assistance?" 

"  'Almost  none.'  " 

"Could  they  not  at  least  have  medicines?" 

"  'Sometimes  the  nearest  physician  is  sixty  miles  away.  They 
have  to  do  as  the  Indians  do — die  or  get  well,  as  God  wills.'  " 


40  JOHN   D.   PIERCE 

At  our  breakfast  table  we  can  read  a  morning  paper  filled 
with  the  happenings  of  the  past  twenty -four  hours  throughout  the 
whole  world,  and  the  fact  occasions  no  surprise,  We  get  our 
mails  regularly  and  quickly,  we  can  talk  with  distant  friends,  if 
necessary,  by  telephone,  or  telegraph.  But  the  early  settler  in 
Michigan,  when  once  he  entered  the  wilderness,  was  cut  off  from 
his  friends  and  relatives  more  completely  than  would  be  true, 
now,  were  he  to  live  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  "What 
wonder,"  as  an  old  pioneer  has  said,  "that  the  parting  scene 
when  our  company  left  their  old  home  resembled  friends  standing 
over  the  open  graves  of  their  loved  ones."  The  nearest  postoffice 
was  frequently  forty  or  fifty  miles  away,  and  money  was  scarce 
and  postage  rates  were  high, — twenty-five  cents  regular  letter 
rate,— and  not  always  paid  by  the  sender.  Once  when  Bellevue 
was  the  only  postofiice  in  Eaton  County,  a  letter  arrived  from 
Bennington,  Vt.,  with  this  address:  — 

"ForKalamo,  I'm  bound,  Uncle  Sam, 

To  Bazateel  Taft,  in  Michigan; 
When  you  get  there  you'll  see  his  log  fence, 
Then  ask  him  for  the  twenty-five  cents." 
And  Mr.  Taft  paid  it. 

The  early  schools  of  the  Territory  were  found  chiefly  in 
Detroit,  or  among  the  French  farmers  up  and  down  the  river, 
but  they  were  little  more  than  catechism  classes  to  prepare  the 
children  for  their  first  communion,  and  do  not  deserve  to  be  con- 
sidered in  any  discussion  of  an  educational  system.  But  with  the 
coming  in  1798  of  the  Rev.  Gabriel  Richard,  a  cultured  and  public- 
spirited  priest,  a  new  era  dawned  for  education  in  the  settlement.  1 
In  1804  he  was  instrumental  in  establishing  a  classical  school  in 
charge  of  his  assistant,  Father  John  Dilhet,  and  about  the  same 
time  founded  a  ladies'  seminary.  Upon  the  organization  of  the 
Territorial  government  in  1805,  some  provision  was  made  looking 
to  the  establishment  and  support  of  schools,  but  there  never  was 

1  See  Life  and  Times  of  Rev.  Gabriel  Richard,"  by  J.  A.  Girardin — Michi- 
gan Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  I. ;  also  a  series  of  articles  on  Early 
Education  in  Detroit,  by  C.  M.  Burton,  published  in  The  Gateway,  1904. 


CUI/TURB;  CONDITIONS  IN  TERRITORIAL  DAYS  41 

any  well  defined  system,  and  it  is  hard  to  determine  just  how 
many  schools  were  actually  organized  in  that  period.  There 
are  many  records,  however,  to  show  the  operation  of  some  in 
which  the  common  branches  were  taught,  and  the  names  of 
several  men  and  women  who  were  teachers  of  that  day  have 
come  down  to  us. 

But  Father  Richard  cherished  ideas  of  higher  education,  also, 
which  were  far  in  advance  of  his  day,  and  as  early  as  1806  he 
petitioned  the  Territorial  Legislature  to  create  a  '  'college  in 
which  will  be  taught  the  languages  ancient  and  modern,  and  sev- 
eral sciences,  etc."  He  petitioned  the  Legislature  again  in  1808 
concerning  a  proposed  academy  for  young  women,  and  gave  a 
statement  of  the  work  he  had  already  accomplished:  "Besides 
two  Knglish  schools  in  the  town  of  Detroit,  there  are  four  primary 
schools  for  boys  and  two  for  young  ladies,  either  in  town  or  at 
Springwells,  at  Grand  Marais,  or  at  the  River  Huron."  He  also 
requested  that  the  Territorial  government  assist  him  in  the 
building  of  this  school  by  setting  aside  for  the  purpose  one  of 
the  four  lotteries  of  $4000  each,  authorized  in  1805.  But  it  was 
not  done. 

The  War  of  1812  interrupted  all  public  affairs  in  Detroit,  and 
the  schools  suffered  along  with  other  interests,  but  when  peace 
was  declared  there  was  a  noticeable  awakening  in  educational 
matters.  Some  of  the  schools  of  this  later  period,  such  as  the 
Goff,  the  Danforth,  the  Brookfield,  though  providing  instruction 
in  hardly  more  than  the  common  branches,  were  well  and  favor- 
ably kiiDvvu.  One,  the  Lancasterian  School,  started  in  1818 
under  the  scholarly  Lemuel  Shattuck,  enjoyed  unusual  popularity 
and  came  to  be,  perhaps,  the  most  celebrated  school  in  the  Ter- 
ritory. 

But  the  organization  in  1817  of  the  "Catholepistemiad,  or  Uni- 
versity of  Michigania,"  was  the  crowning  product  of  Detroit 
influences  in  our  territorial  education.  And  here  again  the  pro- 
gresive  views  of  Father  Richard  are  visible,  though  he  was 
ably  seconded  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Monteith,  a  Presbyterian  clergy- 
man, and  Judge  Woodward,  Chief  Justice  of  ^the  Territory.  But 
it  took  years  for  the  university  to  develop  into  anything  as  pre- 


42  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

tentious  as  its  marvellous  name,  and  not  until  Michigan  became 
a  state,  with  the  interests  of  popular  education  in  charge  of  John 
D.  Pierce,  were  steps  taken  which  ultimately  resulted  in  making 
of  the  university  a  school  of  learning,  the  crowning  glory  of  our 
educational  system. 

I/et  us  now  for  a  moment  turn  our  attention  to  the  common 
schools  of  the  Territory  as  they  came  into  existence  at  the  close 
of  the  War  of  1812,  over  the  vast  extent  of  wilderness,  to  keep 
pace  with  the  rapid  progress  of  settlement. 

The  early  settlers  from  New  York  and  New  England  took 
kindly  to  all  efforts  which  tended  to  maintain  the  district  school. 
It  was  an  institution  that  they  were  familiar  with, — in  it  the  most 
of  them  had  received  their  modicum  of  learning.  But  the  coun- 
try was  sparsely  settled,  and  a  poverty  which  we  cannot  imagine 
prevailed.  As  Mr.  Van  Bureu  says:  l  "There  was  no  want  of  a 
disposition  to  establish  schools,  but  a  want  of  means,  and  a  want 
of  a  sufficient  number  of  children  in  a  settlement  to  constitute  a 
school.  But  the  settlers  did  all  they  could." 

It  was  generally  the  case  that  wherever  a  few  families  were  in 
close  enough  contact,  it  was  not  long  before  somewhere  nearby, 
at  the  intersection  of  the  roads,  or  trails,  a  log  schoolhouse  was 
erected.  It  was  always  a  rude  and  unattractive  structure,  but 
every  bit  as  good  as  the  homes  from  which  the  children  came. 
Here  is  a  picture  of  one,2  as  an  old  settler  has  drawn  it: — 

"The  house  was  usually  covered  with  shakes.  The  door  was 
made  of  rough  boards,  hung  with  wooden  hinges,  and  fastened 
with  a  latch  of  the  same  material.  The  windows  were  made  of 
twelve-lighted,  seven-by-nine  glass,  the  sash  placed  horizontally 
instead  of  perpendicularly.  The  floor  was  made  of  rough  boards 
where  they  could  be  obtained,  but  frequently  logs  split  in  two 
and  hewn  smooth  were  made  to  answer  this  purpose.  For  seats, 
slabs  with  legs  to  them  were  universally  used,  which  answered 
the  double  purpose  of  seats  and  sleds  to  ride  down  hill  on.  The 

1  "The  Log  Schoolhouse  Era  in  Michigan";    Michigan  Pioneer  and  His- 
torical Collection.    Vol.   14. 

2  "Schools  of  Wayne  County  at  an  Early  Day,"  byJ.  S.  Tibbits.  Michigan 
Pioneer  and  historical  Collections.    Vol.  I. 


CULTURE)   CONDITIONS   IN  TERRITORIAL   DAYS  43 

desks  were  constructed  by  placing  boards  upon  pins  driven  into 
the  walls  of  the  house.  No  stoves  were  used  in  those  days,  but 
instead  an  ample  fireplace  was  constructed  by  sawing  out  a  few 
logs  at  one  end  of  the  house,  and  filling  up  the  hole  thus  made 
with  stone  and  mud,  which  formed  the  back  of  the  fireplace. 
Sometimes  the  luxury  of  a  brick  hearth  was  indulged  in,  but 
usually  this  consisted  of  dried  clay  and  sand.  The  chimney,  of 
course,  was  built  of  sticks,  plastered  on  the  inside  with  mud." 

The  curriculum  of  that  day  was  limited — it  usually  meant 
nothing  more  than  training  in  the  three  R.'s,  and  spelling  and 
grammar.  There  was  a  dearth  of  text-books,  and  those  used 
were  frequently  heirlooms  of  an  earlier  generation,  and  as  varied 
as  the  pupils  who  made  up  the  schools.  Nevertheless,  a  few- 
books  may  be  regarded  as  the  standards  of  that  period,  some  of 
which  enjoyed  a  deserved  popularity.  The  older  readers  of  these 
pages  will  recognize  them:  Webster's  Speller,  Murray's  English 
Reader,  Daboll's  Arithmetic,  and  Greenleaf's,  or  Murray's 
Grammar. 

Teachers'  wages  were  low,— for  men,  who  as  a  rule  taught  in 
the  winter  schools,  twelve  or  fourteen  dollars  for  a  month  of 
twenty-four  days,  and  board — that  is,  "boarding  around"; 
women  who  taught  in  the  summer  received  less — six  or  seven 
dollars  and  board. 

Not  much  is  to  be  said  for  those  early  backwoods  schools 
from  the  standpoint  of  appliance  and  pedagogy,  yet  crude 
as  they  were,  they  did  their  work  well,  and  afforded  a  training  in 
mind,  manners  and  morals,  which  was  a  sure  foundation  for  the 
corning  state. 

There  is  one  other  factor  in  the  civilization  of  the  territorial 
days  which  must  not  be  overlooked, — the  pioneer  preacher.  The 
first  settlers  were  a  god-fearing  folk  who  brought  with  them  to 
the  new  land  the  regard  for  religion  and  the  church  which  was  so 
noticeable  in  New  England  in  that  day.  And  along  with  them 
came  the  frontier  preacher  to  share  their  hardships  and  joys. 
Though  often  their  superior  in  education  and  culture,  he  was  no 
less  self-sacrificing  than  they,  expected  no  better  lot,  and 
worked  for  the  same  rewards.  The  story  of  some  of  the  early 


44  JOHN  D. 

circuit  riders  and  missionaries  is  an  inspiring  part  of  our  history, 
and  we  may  perhaps  dwell  upon  it  a  little  because  it  may  help 
us  later  to  estimate  correctly  the  career  of  John  D.  Pierce. 

The  French  of  Detroit  and  the  southeastern  section  of  the  Ter- 
ritory were  faithfully  ministered  to  by  their  priests,  some  of 
whom,  like  Father  Gabriel  Richard,  were  prominent  men.  But 
Catholic  influence  did  not  affect  the  Protestant  immigrants  from 
the  East,  and  as  the  Territory  !was  settled,  the  religious  educa- 
tion of  the  people  was  left  almost  wholly  in  the  hands  of  the 
pioneer  preachers.  The  Methodists  were  usually  first  on  the 
ground,  zealous  in  revivals  and  camp  meetings  which  almost 
always  resulted  in  the  starting  of  little  church  societies.  De  Tocque- 
ville  said  in  speaking  of  religious  conditions  in  1831:  — 

"Almost  every  summer  some  Methodist  preachers  come  to 
visit  the  new  settlements.  The  rumor  of  their  arrival  spreads 
from  cabin  to  cabin  with  incredible  rapidity ;  it  is  the  great  news 
of  the  day.  At  the  time  appointed,  the  settler,  with  his  wife  and 
children,  set  out  along  the  paths  hardly  yet  distinguishable  from 
the  forest,  to  the  meeting  place.  It  is  not  in  a  church  that  the 
faithful  assemble,  but  in  the  open  air  under  the  forest  trees.  A 
pulpit  of  rough  blocks,  big  trees  levelled  for  seats,  .  .  such 
the  ornaments  of  this  rustic  temple.  The  pioneers  and  their 
families  camp  in  the  surrounding  woods.  Here  for  three  days 
and  nights  the  company  engages  in  religious  worship,  rarely 
interrupted.  It  is  a  sight  to  see  with  what  ardor  these  people 
devote  themselves  to  prayer,  with  what  devotion  they  listen  to 
the  solemn  voice  of  the  preacher.  In  the  wilderness  one  fam- 
ishes for  religion." 

And  not  only  the  Methodists,  but  also  the  Baptists,  Presbyterians, 
Episcopalians,  and  other  sects  kept  pace  with  the  conquest  of  the 
wilds,  all  harmoniously  working  together  to  inculcate  those 
principles  of  religion  and  morality  upon  which  all  good  govern- 
ment rests.  The  Rev.  R.  C.  Crawford,  in  some  of  his  remin- 
iscences ]  of  pioneer  ministers  tells  how  the  Rev.  Richard  Cadle 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  used  to  come  out  into  Oak- 

1  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections.    Vol.  17. 


CUI/TURK   CONDITIONS   IN  TERRITORIAL   DAYS  45 

laud  county  to  hold  service  in  his  grandfather's  log  house.  It  was 
a  matter  of  wonderment  to  the  boy  that  a  man  so  neatly  dressed 
and  so  handsome  in  features,  would  leave  his  home  in  town,  ride 
sixteen  miles  over  rough  roads,  "and  spendanhour  in  a  log  cabin 
with  a  dining  table  for  a  pulpit,  in  preaching  to  a  handful  of 
adults  and  children,  and  not  even  hint  that  a  collection  to  defray 
travelling  expenses  would  be  acceptable."  And  when  the  circuit 
rider  came,  he  too  preached  at  the  grandfather's  log  house,  using 
the  same  table  for  his  pulpit. 

In  1831,  the  Rev.  O.  C.  Thompson,  direct  from  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary,  came  to  the  Territory  on  an  evangelistic 
tour.  He  visited  all  the  inhabited  portion  of  the  country 
near  Detroit,  calling  at  almost  every  house,  and  he  pays  a  fine 
tribute  to  the  hospitality  of  the  pioneer  families.  As  there  were 
already  a  few  settlements  in  the  western  part  of  the  Territory,  he 
set  out  in  that  direction,  and  late  in  the  autumn  found  himself  at 
Jackson.  Unable  to  make  his  horse  ford  the  streams  of  his  route, 
he  had  to  continue  his  way  on  foot — the  beginning  of  a  200  mile 
journey.  But  let  us  quote: — l 

"West  of  Jackson  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  distinguish  the 
main  roads  irom  the  Indian  trails  and  the  paths  of  the  new 
settlers.  I  became  lost  in  the  openings,  and  was  obliged  to  make 
my  dinner  that  day  on  raw  turnips  which  I  found  growing  on  a 
deserted  homestead.  Ivate  in  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day's 
tramp  I  entered  a  ten-mile  stretch  of  woods,  beyond  which  I  was 
told  I  would  find  accommodations  for  travellers.  The  sky  was 
overcast  with  clouds,  and  the  rain  began  to  fall  before  I  had 
accomplished  half  my  task.  The  night  set  in  fearfully  dark  and 
gloomy,  and  the  stillness  was  broken  only  by  the  howling  of 
wolves.  I  began  to  feel  that  my  situation  was  anything  but 
pleasant,  and  might  be  sadly  disastrous,  sol  quickened  my  steps. 
Just  then  the  noise  of  wagons  and  teamsters  on  the  road  before 
me  was  a  glad  and  welcome  sound.  As  I  carne  up  with  the 
teams  I  found  there  were  several  families  of  immigrants  benighted 
like  myself,  and  all  bound  for  the  same  house  of  entertainment 

1  Observations  and  Experiences  in  Michigan  Forty  Years  Ago."— Michi- 
gan Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections.  Vol.  1. 


46  JOHN  D. 

beyond  the  woods.  Among  these  immigrants  was  the  Rev.  J.  D. 
Pierce  and  family;  his  wife  whom  he  had  married  recently,  a 
highly  intelligent  lady  from  a  wealthy  family  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  was  sitting  in  her  silks  in  an  open  wagon,  drenched  to  the 
skin  with  pouring  rain." 

Such  were  some  of  the  many  experiences  of  the  pioneer 
preachers  of  Michigan.  JohnD.  Pierce,  likeothers,  entered  upon 
the  new  and  trying  life  of  the  wilderness  with  faith  and  fortitude, 
and  he  was  destined  to  play  a  great  part  in  the  future  development 
of  the  new  region.  If  he  did  more  than  others,  it  was  not 
because  he  was  more  zealous  and  ambitious,  but  rather  because 
the  Providence  of  God  marked  him  for  great  things,  and  he  had 
ability  to  do  that  whereunto  he  was  chosen. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


TWO  DIRECT  SOURCES  OF  THE  MICHIGAN  SCHOOL  SYSTEM 

Michigan's  school  system,  under  the  state  government,  has 
been  a  gradual  evolution.  It  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  the 
creation  of  one  man,  or  of  any  one  group  of  men,  in  one  time  or 
place.  There  were  leaders  in  thought  who  comprehended  the 
complex  conditions  and  surmounted  the  difficulties  which  con- 
fronted them,  but  in  doing  this  they  were  more  or  less  con- 
sciously influenced  by  the  work  that  had  been  done  by  others, 
both  at  home  and  abroad. 

We  now  purpose  (1)  to  examine  briefly  into  the 
development  of  the  school  system,  through  the  territorial 
period  up  to  and  including  the  provisions  for  education 
to  be  found  in  the  first  state  constitution,  (Some  reference 
has  already  been  made  in  Chapter  III.  to  the  educational  condi- 
tions) ;  and  (2)  to  submit  a  brief  analysis  of  Cousin's  Report  of 
Public  Instruction  in  Prussia.  The  first  study  will  disclose  the 
educational  foundation  upon  which  Mr.  Pierce  erected  our  school 
system;  the  second  will  serve  to  show  the  source  of  many  of  his 
educational  doctrines  and  principles,  and  doubtless  will  reveal 
some  of  the  educational  agencies  which  enabled  him  to  accom- 
plish such  wonderful  results. 
The  Territorial  School  System. 

There  seem  to  have  been  four  logical  steps  marking  the 
development  of  territorial  education:  (1)  the  foundation  of  the 
system,  (2)  the  Catholepistemiad,  (3)  the  establishment  of  the 
university,  and  (4)  the  founding  of  the  district  system.  Let  us 
now  examine  the  legal  provisions  connected  with  each  of  these 
stages. 

The  first  law  relating  to  schools  in  the  Territory  was,  without 
doubt,  enacted  in  the  year  1809.  Regarding  this,  Justice  Cooley 

47 


48  JOHN  D.    PIKRCU 

says:1  "The  act  provided  for  the  laying  off  into  school  districts 
of  all  the  settled  portions  of  the  Territory,  and  for  an  enumera- 
tion of  the  children,  between  the  ages  of  four  and  eighteen,  in 
each  of  the  districts.  From  these  districts  annual  reports  were 
required  of  the  moneys  expended  in  the  support  of  schools  and 
in  the  construction  of  school  buildings.  The  Territorial  gov- 
ernment was  to  levy  an  annual  tax  of  not  less  than  two,  or  more 
than  four  dollars  for  each  child  reported  within  the  ages  men- 
tioned. The  sum  collected  was  to  be  apportioned  among  the 
districts;  not,  however,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  children 
in  them  respectively,  but  in  proportion  to  the  sums  expended  in 
the  year  preceding,  for  school  purposes." 

No  further  school  legislation  was  enacted  until  1817,  when  the 
Territorial  government  incorporated  an  institution,  which  was 
known  as  the  Catholepistemiad,  or  University  of  Michigania. 
It  has  already  been  shown  how  this  originated.2  The  act  was 
couched  in  language  crude  and  pedantic,  but,  as  has  been  said, 
"the  author  had  grasped  certain  principles  which  were  of  the 
very  highest  importance,  and  which,  from  this  time,  became 
incorporated  in  the  polity  of  the  Territory  and  subsequently  of 
the  State  also." 

The  main  provisions  found  in  the  act  are  as  follows: — 3 

1.  The  establishment  of  a  university  with  thirteen  professors, 
to  be  appointed  by  the  governor  and  to  be  paid  an  annual  salary 
from  the  treasury  of  Michigan.     It  was  provided  that  more  than 
one  professorship  might  be  conferred  upon  the  same  person. 

2.  The  professor  of  universal  science  was  the  president,  and 
he,  together  with  the  other  professors,  had  the  power  to  regulate 
all  the  concerns  of  the  institution,  to  enact  laws  for  that  purpose, 
to  provide  for  and  appoint  all  officers  or  teachers  under  them, 
to  establish  colleges,  academies,  schools,  libraries,  museums  and 
laboratories    and  to  provide  for  and  appoint    all  school  officers 
throughout    the   various   counties,    cities,    towns,  townships,  or 

1  Justice  Cooley.     Michigan — A  History  of  Government^ 

2  See  page  41. 

3  See  Report  of  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Education,  1897-1898.  Vol.  1,  p.  601. 


SOURCES  OF  THE;  MICHIGAN  SCHOOL  SYSTEM  49 

other  geographical  divisions  of  Michigan.  All  teachers  were  to 
be  paid  a  fixed  salary  from  the  treasury  of  Michigan. 

3.  The  public  taxes  were  increased  fifteen  per  cent  and  from 
the  proceeds  of  the  public  taxes,  fifteen  per  cent  was  appropriated 
for  the  benefit  of  the  university.  Further,  it  was  authorized  to 
prepare  and  draw  four  successive  lotteries,  deducting  from  the 
prizes  the  sum  of  fifteen  per  cent  for  the  benefit  of  the  institu- 
tion. The  proceeds  of  the  preceding  sources  of  revenue,  and  of 
all  subsequent  sources,  were  to  be  applied  to  the  procuring  of 
buildings  and  the  establishment  of  libraries. 

We  have  little  evidence  that  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  1817 
were  extensively  carried  out,  but,  in  1821,  some  important 
changes  were  made,  which  subsequently  developed  into  the  fab- 
ric of  our  school  system.  A  board  of  twenty-one  trustees,  of 
which  the  governor  was  a  member  ex-offitio,  was  given  the  con- 
trol of  the  university,  thus  transferring  the  management  from 
the  professors  to  an  independent  centralized  body.  This  board 
of  trustees  was  given  the  power  to  organize  such  schools,  col- 
leges and  academies  as  they  deemed  proper.  An  important  step 
was  also  taken  in  regard  to  school  maintenance;  the  trustees 
were  left  to  depend  entirely  upon  the  income  of  the  lands  espec- 
ially devoted  to  educational  purposes  and  upon  voluntary  con- 
tributions from  private  individuals,  instead  as  formerly,  upon  an 
income  from  a  general  tax  upon  the  property  of  the  territory. 

This  extreme  centralization  paved  the  way  for  the  next  step, 
which  resulted  in  the  inauguration  of  the  district  system.  Prev- 
ious to  the  year  1827,  the  people  had  had  no  voice  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  schools,  but  everything  had  been  in  the  hands  of 
a  central  power.  In  this  year,  however,  a  law  was  passed  which 
took  the  control  of  the  common  schools  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
university  trustees  and  conferred  certain  well  defined  rights  and 
powers  upon  the  people  and  imposed  upon  them  grave  responsi- 
bilities. By  the  provisions  of  this  act,  every  township  containing 
fifty  families  was  required  to  support  a  school.  Townships  having 
a  greater  population  were  required  to  maintain  the  school  for  a 
greater  length  of  time  and  to  make  it  of  a  more  advanced  char- 
acter. This  law  is,  in  many  respects,  the  duplicate  of  the  ordin- 


50  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

atice  of  1647,  enacted  in  Massachusetts.  The  voters  of  a  town- 
ship could  order  a  division  of  the  township  into  districts  with  a 
board  of  three  trustees  to  manage  the  local  affairs.  The  exam- 
ination of  teachers  and  the  supervision  of  schools  were  placed  in 
the  hands  of  a  board  of  school  inspectors  in  each  township. 

In  1828,  the  law  was  further  amended  by  providing  for  the 
appointment,  by  the  governor,  of  a  superintendent  of  common 
schools  for  the  territory.  He  was  required  to  report  annually  on 
the  condition  of  school  lands  and  the  amount  of  money  received 
from  the  rent  of  them.  By  this  law,  the  district  system  was 
defined.  It  provided  for  a  board  of  "Commissioners  of  Common 
Schools"  in  each  township,  whose  function  was  to  attend  to  the 
distribution  of  all  money  derived  from  the  rental  of  the  school 
section,  and  to  arrange  the  boundaries  of  the  districts.  There 
was  also  a  board  of  five,  designated  as  "Inspectors  of  Common 
Schools,"  which  examined  and  licensed  teachers  and  performed 
the  functions  of  supervisor!. 

Dr.  Daniel  Putnam  summarizes  the  educational  conditions  at 
the  close  of  the  Territorial  period  as  follows : — l 

1.  "Provision  for  higher  education  by  a  university  existing  in 
the  state,    and  in   anticipation  of  a  prospective  endowment  from 
seventy-two  sections  of  land  donated  by  Congress  and  three  sec- 
tions given  by  certain  Indian  tribes. 

2.  Provisions  for  secondary  education  by  means  of  schools  to 
be  established  and  supported  by  the  trustees  of  the  University. 

3.  Provision  for  elementary  schools,  to  be  held  at  least  three 
months  of    the    year,    controlled    and    supported  by  the  various 
school  districts,  with  the  aid  derived  from  the  rents  of  the  school 
system. 

4.  Provision  for  a  Territorial   Superintendent   of   Common 
Schools,  appointed  by  the  governor  with  the  consent  of  the  leg- 
islative council." 

During  the  Territorial  period,  centralization  had  gradually 
given  away  to  extreme  individualism.  This  condition  made  a 
central  organizing  agency  necessary  and  this  could  be  possible 

1  Primary  and  Secondary  Public  Education  in  Michigan,  p,  17. 


SOURCES  OF  THE  MICHIGAN  SCHOOI,  SYSTEM  51 

only  under  a  state  constitution,  because,  under  the  Ordinance  of 
1787,  in  accordance  with  which  Michigan  was  governed,  the  gov- 
ernor and  judges  did  not  have  the  power  to  enact  original  laws, 
but  only  power  to  adopt  and  publish  such  laws  of  the  original 
States  as  might  be  necessary  and  suited  to  the  circumstances;1 
consequently  the  educational  provisions  of  the  constitution  of 
1835,  while  recognizing  the  tights  and  duties  of  the  people, 
assumed  the  responsibility  and  undertook  the  organization  and 
control  of  the  school  system,  by  conferring  upon  the  Legislature 
power  to  enact  and  execute  such  laws  as  may  be  necessary. 

The  following  article  was  adopted: 

"1.  The  Governor  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice 
and  consent  of  the  Legislature,  in  joint  vote,  shall  appoint  a 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  who  shall  hold  his  office 
for  two  years,  and  whose  duties  shall  be  prescribed  by  law. 

2.  The    Legislature  shall  encourage,  by  all  suitable  means, 
the  promotion   of   intellectual,    scientific,   and    agricultural  im- 
provement.    The  proceeds  of  all  lands  that  have  been,  or,  here- 
after, may  be  granted  by  the  United  States  to  this  State  for  the 
support  of  schools,  which  shall  hereafter  be  sold  or  disposed  of, 
shall   be  and  remain  a  perpetual  fund;   the   interest  of  which, 
together  with  the  rents  of  all  such  unsold  lands,  shall  be  inviola- 
bly appropriated  to  the  support  of  schools  throughout  the  State. 

3.  The    Legislature  shall    provide   for   a  system  of  common 
schools,  by  which  a  school  shall  be  kept  up  and  supported  in  each 
school    district  at  least   three    months  in  every  year,    and    any 
school  district  neglecting  to  keep  up  and  support  a  school,  may 
be  deprived  of  its  equal  proportion  of  the  interest  of  the  public 
fund. 

4.  As  soon  as  the  circumstances  of  the  state  will  permit,  the 
Legislature  shall  provide  for  the  establishment  of  libraries ;  one 
at  least  in  each  township,  and  the  money  which  shall  be  paid  by 
persons  as  an  equivalent  for  exemption  from  military  duty,  and 
the  clear  proceeds  of  all  fines  assessed  in  the  several  counties  for 

1  Dr.  Hinsdale:  Report  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Education,  1897-1898. 
Vol.  1,  p.  601. 


52  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

any  breach  of  the  penal  laws,  shall  be  exclusively  applied  for  the 
support  of  said  libraries. 

5.  The  Legislature  shall  take  measures  for  the  protection, 
improvement,  or  other  disposition  of  such  lands  as  have  been  or 
may  hereafter  be  granted  by  the  United  States  to  this  State  for 
the  support  of  a  university;  and  the  funds  accruing  from  the 
rents  or  sale  of  such  lands,  or  from  any  other  source  for  the  pur- 
pose aforesaid,  shall  be  and  remain  a  permanent  fund  for  the 
support  of  said  University,  with  such  branches  as  the  public 
convenience  may  hereafter  demand  for  the  promotion  of  litera- 
ture, the  arts  and  sciences  and  as  may  be  authorized  by  the 
terms  of  such  grant;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Legislature, 
as  soon  as  may  be,  to  provide  effectual  means  for  the  improve- 
ment and  permanent  security  of  the  funds  of  said  University." 
Cousin's  Report  of  the  Prussian  Schools. 

In  a  previous  chapter  reference  has  been  made  to  this  report,  and 
it  has  been  shown  how  it  became  a  part  of  America's  educational 
inheritance,  and  how  it  came  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Pierce.1  As 
it  doubtless  influenced  him  in  transforming  the  old  territorial 
plan  into  the  new  system,  we  now  wish  to  examine  it  more  in 
detail  in  order  to  bring  its  main  principles  clearly  before  the 
reader. 

Mr.  Taylor's  preface  to  the  report  is  exceedingly  suggestive 
and  interesting,  in  so  far  as  it  directs  the  attention  of  the  reader 
to  educational  tendencies  and  dangers  in  America,  and  hints  at  a< 
remedy.  He  emphasizes  the  necessity  of  the  different  states  fix- 
ing the  school  fund  at  a  sum  sufficient  for  the  entire  support 
the  school's;  speaks  of  the  necesssity  for  trained  teachers,  and 
urges  the  desirability  of  a  separate  officer  of  public  instruction. 
He  shows  the  value  of  public  libraries  and  suggests  the  publica- 
tion, by  the  government,  of  an  educational  magazine  so  be  sent 
to  all  of  the  schools.  In  conclusion,  he  shows  that  the  district 
school  is  the  source  of  national  intelligence  and  that  universal  \ 
education  is  the  only  true  security  of  life  and  property. 

The  Report  proper  naturally  divides  itself  into  four  parts  as 
follows: — 

1  See  page  19. 


SOURCES  OF  THE  MICHIGAN  SCHOOI,  SYSTEM 


53 


1.  General  organization  of  public  instruction  in  Prussia. 

2.  Primary  instruction. 

3.  Secondary  instruction. 

4.  Higher  instruction  or  Universities. 

The  American  edition  of  the  Report,  being  the  one  that  came 
into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Pierce,  deals  with  the  first  two  parts  only. 
In  the  analysis  of  these  two,  marked  emphasis  is  placed 
upon  those  facts  and  principles  that  appear  to  have  exerted  an 
influence  upon  the  founder  of  the  Michigan  system. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  Prussian  system  is  a  highly 
centralized  one  and,  therefore,  the  one  officer  of  the  greatest 
rank  and  endowed  with  almost  unlimited  power  is  the  Minister 
of  Public  Instruction.  This  office  embraces  everything  relating 
to  science  and  in  consequence  all  schools  and  libraries  and  all 
kindred  institutions,  such  as  botanical  gardens,  museums,  cabi- 
nets, the  lower  schools  of  surgery  and  medicine,  and  academies 
of  music,  all  come,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  under  his  super- 
vision. The  superintendence  of  ecclesiastical  affairs  is  likewise 
united  to  that  of  public  instruction. 

The  minister  has  around  him  a  council,  which  is  divided  into 
three  sections,  which  correspond  to  the  three  branches  of  his 
office,  viz: — a  section  for  church  affairs,  composed  of  a  certain 
number  of  councilors,  mostly  clergymen,  with  a  director  at  their 
head;  a  section  for  public  instruction,  also  composed  of  a  certain 
number  of  councilors,  almost  all  laymen,  with  a  director;  and  a 
section  for  medicine,  with  its  councilors  and  director.  From 
time  to  time,  the  minister  meets  with  these  councils  and  directs 
their  work  and  it  is  through  this  central  administration  that  all 
the  parts  of  public  instruction  are  directed  throughout  the  whole 
extent  of  the  monarchy. 

Prussia  is  divided  into  ten  provinces.  Bach  of  these  provinces 
is  divided  into  departments  which  comprise  an  area  of  greater 
or  less  extent.  Each  department  is  again  sub -divided  into  what 
are  called  circles,  and  each  circle  is  divided  inio  parishes. 

Almost  every  province  has  its  university,  with  its  own  man- 
aging board  and  authorities  elected  by  itself.  It  is  under  the 
superintendence  of  a  Royal  Consistory,  nominated  by  the  min- 


54  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

ister  of  instruction  and  in  direct  communication  with,  and 
responsible  to  him.  He  is  the  only  mediator  between  the  uni- 
versity and  the  minister. 

In  every  province,  under  the  direction  of  the  supreme  presi- 
dent, is  an  institution  which  is  both  connected  with,  and  depend- 
ent upon  the  Ministry  of  Public  Instruction,  and,  in  a  way,  in  its 
internal  organization,  is  a  copy  of  the  councils  mentioned  above. 
They  are  called  Provincial  Consistories  and,  as  the  Ministry  is 
divided  into  three  sections,  corresponding  to  the  three  lines  of 
administration,  so  we  see  here  a  similar  sub-division  into  (1)  a 
section  for  ecclesiastical  affairs,  called  the  Consistory,  (2)  for 
public  instruction,  called  the  School  Board,  and  (2)  for  affairs 
connected  with  public  health,  called  the  Medical  Board.  The 
functions  of  the  school  board  are  of  interest  to  us  because  its 
domain  is  secondary  instruction;  it  has  to  deal  with  the  gym- 
nasia and  those  higher  common  schools  and  progymnasia  which 
form  an  intermediate  link  between  primary  and  secondary  educa- 
tion. All  seminaries,  devoted  to  the  training  of  teachers,  come 
under  its  jurisdiction,  and  it  has  a  will  in  all  the  more  important 
questions  relating  to  primary  instruction.  Attached  to  the  School 
Board  is  a  Commission  of  Examination,  composed  of  the  pro- 
fessors of  the  university.  Its  function  is  two-fold:  to  examine 
pupils  of  the  gymnasia  who  wish  to  enter  the  university,  and  to 
examine  those  who  apply  for  situations  as  teachers  in  the 
gymnasia. 

By  the  law  of  the  land,  every  parish  must  have  a  school,  and, 
by  virtue'  of  his  office,  the  pastor  is  its  inspector.  Associated 
with  him  is  a  committee  of  administration  and  superintendence, 
composed  of  some  of  the  most  important  persons  in  the  parish. 
In  the  chief  town  of  the  circle,  there  is  to  be  found,  also, 
another  inspector,  whose  authority  extends  to  all  of  the  schools 
of  the  circle.  He,  also,  is  a  clergyman. 

In  Prussia,  all  public  servants  are  paid  for  their  services  and 
as  no  post  whatever  can  be  obtained  without  passing  through 
the  most  rigorous  examination,  they  are  all  able  and  enlightened 
men.  And,  as  they  are  taken  from  every  class  of  society,  they 


SOURCES   OF  THE  MICHIGAN   SCHOOI,   SYSTEM  55 

bring  to  the  exercise  of  their   duties   the  general  spirit  of  the 
nation. 

Primary  instruction  is  parochial  and  departmental ;  at  the 
same  time,  it  is  subject  to  the  authority  and  direction  of  the  min- 
ister of  instruction  and  is  responsible  to  him.  This  double  char- 
acter is  consequent  upon  the  very  nature  of  those  institutions 
which  require  both  the  superintendence  of  local  powers  and  the 
guidance  of  a  superior  hand,  harmonizing  the  whole.  This 
double  character  is  represented  by  the  school  councilor,  who  has 
a  seat  in  the  council  of  the  department  and  is  responsible  both  to 
the  ministry  of  the  interior  and  to  that  of  public  instruction. 

All  secondary  instruction  is  under  the  direct  care  of  the  school 
board,  the  members  of  which  are  nominated   by  the  minister  of 
public  instruction.     All  higher  instruction  has  for  its  organ  and 
its  head  the  royal  commissary,    who   acts  under  the  immediate 
authority  of  the  minister.     Nothing,  therefore,  escapes  the  eye 
and  power  of  this  officer  and  yet  each  of  these  departments  of 
public    instruction    enjoys  a  sufficient    liberty    of    action.     The  \ 
universities  belong  to  the  state  alone,  secondary  instruction  to  j 
the  provinces,  and  primary  instruction  to  the  ministerial  depart-/ 
ment  and  to  the  parishes.     The  aim  of  the  entire  organization  of 
the  school  system  is  to  leave  the  details  to  local  powers  and  to 
reserve  to  the  minister  of  public  instruction  and  his  council  the 
direction  and  general  impulse  given  to  the  whole. 

Under  the  organization  of  primary  instruction,  the  report 
deals  quite  in  detail  with  many  topics  of  a  practical  character. 
It  discusses  the  duty  of  parents  to  send  their  children  to  the 
primary  schools  and  the  duty  of  each  parish  to  maintain  such 
a  school  at  its  own  cost.  Much  attention  is  devoted  to  the 
question  of  the  training  of  teachers,  mode  of  appointment,  pro- 
motions, grading,  etc.  Finally,  accompanying  the  report,  were 
plans  of  school-houses,  outlines  of  courses  of  study,  and  pro- 
grams of  work,  all  of  which  would  be  very  suggestive  to  one: 
about  to  undertake  the  organization  of  a  new  system.  Special 
reference  will  be  made  to  these  as  necessity  requires  in  making  a 
comparison  of  the  systems. 


BRA 
or  THE 

UNIVERSITY 
or 


PART  II.    JOHN  D.  PIERCE 

THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE  MICHIGAN  SCHOOL   SYSTEM 
CHAPTER  V. 

EARLY  YEARS  IN  NEW  ENGLAND 

The  Pierce  family  is  an  old  one  in  New  England,  John  Pierce, 
the  first  of  the  line  in  America,  having  settled  at  Watertown, 
Mass.,  in  the  year  1637.  The  conditions  of  life  in  the  pioneer 
days  of  the  colonies,  though  hard  and  primitive,  only  served  to 
bring  out  the  more  native  vigor  of  this  race,  and  as  one  examines 
the  records  of  the  family  he  is  impressed  with  the  fact  that  its 
men  and  women  have  been  unusually  sturdy  in  mind  and  body. 
The  most  of  them  have  lived  quiet  lives,  content  only  if  they 
were  worthy  citizens  and  industrious  and  upright  parents.  But 
some  like  Gen.  Benjamin  Pierce,  one  time  governor  of  New 
Hampshire,  his  son  Franklin  B.  Pierce,  president  of  the  United 
States,  and  his  cousin,  the  subject  of  this  volume,  have  had  dis- 
tinguished careers,  and  played  creditable  parts  in  the  history  of 
their  country. 

John  Davis  Pierce,  the  only  son  of  Gad  Pierce  and  Sarah 
Davis  Pierce,  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  New  Hampshire,  Feb.  18, 
1797.  When  we  recall  that  Washington  was  still  president  at 
that  time  we  realize  a  little  better,  perhaps,  how  far  back  in  our 
history  the  life  of  this  man  takes  us,  and  how  young  we  are  as  a 
people  among  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

The  father,  Gad  Pierce,  was  a  typical  Yankee,  tall,  of  power- 
ful physique,  and  intelligent,  but  somewhat  restless.  Only  a  short 
time  before  the  boy  was  born  the  father  had  moved  from  Paxton 
in  Worcester  county,  Mass.,  to  New  Hampshire,  drawn  thither 
by  the  presence  of  relatives  and  some  evanescent  hope  of  improv- 
ing his  worldly  condition.  But  in  this  he  was  disappointed,  for  he 
was  seized  with  inflammatory  rheumatism  soon  after  his  arrival 

56 


KARI,Y  YEARS   IN   NEW   ENGLAND  51 

in  his  new  home,  suffered  from  it  for  two  years,  and  died,  leav- 
ing his  wife  and  two  children,  John,  a  baby  two  years  old,  and 
Sally  four,  in  financial  straits.  This  calamity  resulted  in  the 
breaking  up  of  the  home,  for  the  widow  saw  no  way  of  support- 
ing herself  and  the  children  together.  Accordingly,  she  resolved 
to  carry  the  boy  back  to  his  kinsfolk  in  Massachusetts.  She 
made  the  journey  on  horseback,  carrying  her  baby  before 
her,  and  in  Paxton  handed  him  over  to  his  grandfather,  David 
Pierce.  It  is  a  pathetic  picture,  the  lad  at  such  a  tender  age, 
carried  away  from  home  and  across  the  New  England 
hills.  Not  long  after  the  mother's  return  to  New  Hampshire 
she  married  a  Mr.  Foster  who  already  had  a  large  family  of  chil- 
dren, so  there  never  was  any  place  for  the  step-son,  and  he  was 
thus  left  to  grow  up  without  a  mother's  care. 

The  grandfather,  David  Pierce,  was  a  Tory,  who  because  of  his 
fondness  for  the  English  church  remained  loyal  to  the  king. 
From  what  we  know  of  him  he  must  have  resembled  a  country 
squire;  he  wore  knee-breeches  and  buckled  shoes,  and  insisted  on 
his  grandson's  doing  the  same.  But  though  the  boy  wore  Eng- 
lish clothes  the  heart  underneath  was  Yankee  through  and 
through.  About  1807  the  old  man  died,  bequeathing  to  his 
grandson  one  hundred  dollars  which  he  was  to  receive  at  his 
majority. 

The  lad,  ten  vears  old  and  homeless  a  second  time,  now  passed 
into  the  family  of  an  uncle  where  he  was  not  especially  welcome. 
His  grandfather,  though  old  and  out  of  sympathy  with  childhood, 
had  been  kind  and  had  cherished  a  real  affection  for  him.  But 
all  at  once  this  was  changed.  There  were  already  several  chil- 
dren in  his  uncle's  family,  his  aunt  regarded  him  as  an  intruder 
and  a  burden, — and  from  now  on  love  and  sympathy  were  to  be 
absent  from  his  childhood. 

For  the  next  few  years  his  lot  was  a  bitter  one.  Though  but 
a  mere  boy,  he  was  obliged  to  work  like  a  farm  hand  the  whole 
year  through  for  his  food  and  clothing.  He  slept  in  an  attic 
room  under  the  roof,  and  the  snow  of  the  dreary  winters  often 
drifted  to  the  very  window.  Then  there  were  the  long  hours 
when  he  helped  to  shovel  out  roads,  and  clear  paths, 


58  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

or  toiled  in  the  wood-lot,  chopping  the  year's  supply  of  fire- 
wood for  the  big  fire  place.  There  was  actual  physical  suffering 
for  him  in  those  days.  The  lunches  he  took  into  the  woods  were 
insufficient  to  satisfy  the  hunger  of  his  rapidly  growing  body; 
and  he  often  returned  at  night  with  frosted  hands  and  feet.  In 
the  summer  time  he  worked  in  the  fields,  trying  with  the  other 
members  of  the  family  to  wrest  a  living  from  the  rock-ribbed 
hills  of  Worcester  county.  Such  was  the  round  of  toil  through  the 
year,  a  cheerless,  disheartening  one  for  a  boy  who  already  had 
a  taste  for  books  and  reading,  and  was  beginning  to  dream  dreams 
of  the  great  world  without. 

In  these  years  he  received  a  little  schooling— not  much— and 
this  was  his  only  pleasure.  During  the  winter  months  he  was 
allowed  to  attend  school  two  months  each  year,  just  enough  to 
give  him  some  knowledge  of  the  common  branches.  Later  the 
village  library  was  accessible  to  him,  and  he  luxuriated  in  the 
delight  of  losing  himself  in  its  books.  He  borrowed  books,  too, 
from  any  one  who  would  lend,  and  tramped  miles  to  get  them.  As 
a  man,  John  Pierce  often  remarked  that  he  had  read  every  book 
within  ten  miles  of  Paxton. 

But  no  one  must  think  that  the  boy  was  unlike  other  boys, 
fond  only  of  dreaming  and  reading,  and  eschewing  the  sports  of 
boyhood.  With  all  his  fondness  for  books  he  was  a  real  boy, — 
stalwart  and  athletic,  noted  for  that  physical  endurance  which 
seven  generations  of  New  England  forebears  had  bred  into  the 
Pierce  family.  And  so  we  find  him  taking  part  in  all  the  out- 
door sports  that  he  could  manage  to  get  leisure  for,  and 
he  was  regarded  by  his  fellows  as  a  leader  and  champion.  He 
was  an  all-around,  well  developed  boy,  such  as  would  have 
delighted  a  Greek  of  Pythagoras'  days,  for  a  perfect  harmony 
had  been  established  between  his  bodily,  intellectual  and  moral 
powers.  His  muscles  were  hard  from  rough  toil,  but  his  mind 
was  keen  and  receptive,  he  was  gentle  and  genteel,  and  his  heart 
was  pure.  His  bringing-up  had  resulted  in  giving  him  confidence 
in  his  own  powers  and  in  making  him  rely  upon  himself.  From 
the  tenacity  with  which  he  held  to  his  high  purposes  he  was 
called  by  his  acquaintances  "Stubborn  John." 


BARI,Y    YEARS    IN    NEJW    ENGLAND  59 

The  religious  strain  in  young  John  Pierce's  nature  did  not  lie 
very  far  below  the  surface.  Coupled  with  his  thoughtful,  studi- 
ous bent  of  inind  was  a  deep  seriousness  which  early  made  him 
susceptible  to  religious  impressions,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
or  so  he  passed  through  that  soul  experience  which  is  termed 
"conversion" — an  experience,  by  the  way,  which  one  comes  up- 
on so  very  frequently  in  the  life  histories  of  the  prominent  men 
of  New  England  in  that  early  period. 

The  result  of  this  conversion  was  to  beget  within  him  two 
ambitions,  namely,  to  acquire  more  education,  and  finally  to 
become  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  With  this  thought  in  mind,  he 
asked  and  obtained  his  uncle's  permission  to  go  out  to  work  for 
himself.  Accordingly,  he  hired  out  to  a  Mr.  Grosvenor,  a  neigh- 
bor, with  whom  he  remained  till  he  had  accumulated  one  hun- 
dred dollars.  This  with  the  one  hundred  from  his  grandfather's 
estate  made  the  funds  for  his  college  course. 

But  he  was  not  yet  ready  for  his  college  course — his  prepara- 
tion had  been  deficient,  still  it  was  not  beyond  hope  of  remedy. 
And  so  one  December  day  he  walked  fourteen  miles  across  the 
country,  buying  a  Latin  grammar  on  the  way,  and  that  night 
knocked  at  the  door  of  the  Rev.  Enoch  Pond  for  his  first  lesson 
in  Latin. 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  young  country  lad  that  he  came  under 
the  influence  of  a  man  like  Enoch  Pond,  for  probably  no  one  was 
better  calculated  to  direct  him.  Mr.  Pond  was  a  young  man 
himself  at  that  time,  only  twenty-six,  but  already  becoming 
known  as  a  clear,  polemical  thinker  and  writer.  After 
graduating  from  Brown  in  1813,  he  had  studied  theology 
and  in  1815  had  become  pastor  of  the  church  at  Ward  (now 
Auburn)  Mass.,  where  he  remained  till  1828.  In  1832  he  accepted 
the  chair  of  systematic  theology  in  the  seminary  at  Bangor, 
Me.,  and  remained  connected  with  that  institution  up  to  the  year 
of  his  death  in  1882.  He  was  the  writer  of  no  less  than  twenty- 
eight  different  works,  some  of  them  enjoying  more  than  a  nomi- 
nal fame,  and  many  exercising  much  influence  on  the  thought 
and  polity  of  the  Congregational  church  in  New  England.  There 
was  not  enough  difference  in  age  between  teacher  and  student 


60  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

to  affect  in  any  way  the  bond  of  sympathy  between-them,  and  for 
almost  a  year  the  relation  lasted.  Probably  from  this  dis- 
tance of  time  no  one  can  know  exactly  what  young  John  Pierce, 
the  serious-minded,  speculative,  enthusiastic  seeker  after  knowl- 
edge, derived  from  the  already  mature  mind  and  soul  of  Enoch 
Pond,  yet  no  doubt  much  that  guided  him  in  his  longing  for 
higher  learning  and  the  higher  life.  Still  the  student  with  all 
the  admiration  he  felt  for  his  teacher  did  not  lose  his  independ- 
ence of  thought.  It  is  quite  possible  that  Mr.  Pond  may  have 
drawn  him  toward  the  Congregational  pulpit  and  have  directed 
him  toward  Brown  University  to  continue  his  studies,  for  already 
he  himself  was  well  and  favorably  known  in  the  church,  and 
Brown  was  his  Alma  Mater.  But  he  could  not  prescribe  the 
young  man's  theology.  A  little  later  we  shall  see — not  many 
years  either — John  Pierce  actually  expostulating  with  his  former 
teacher  over  theological  matters. 

Brown  University  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  was 
already  widely  known  for  the  quality  of  its  work  and  the  liberal- 
ity of  its  scholastic  atmosphere.  Then,  as  now,  it  was  under  the 
direction  of  the  Baptist  church,  but  exercised  no  control  over 
religious  opinions,  and  so  in  September,  1813,  John  Pierce,  fresh 
from  the  tutelage  of  Enoch  Pond,  with  $200  in  his  pocket,  entered 
its  halls  as  a  freshman.  Providence  was  not  far  from  his  home 
— all  the  one  he  had — and  there  was  a  hope  that  he  might  return 
to  the  community  where  he  was  known,  to  do  some  teaching 
when  his  funds  should  run  low.  And  the  expected  happened. 
But  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  was  compelled  to  interrupt 
his  college  work  each  year  to  teach  a  district  school  three  or 
four  months,  at  the  end  of  his  course  in  1822,  he  graduated 
among  the  first  eight  in  a  class  of  thirty-six.  On  his  diploma, 
a  faded  old  parchment,  eight  by  ten  inches  in  size,  one  may  with 
patience  read  as  follows: — 

"  VOBIS  NOTUM  SIT,  quod  Brownensls  Universitatis  in  America 
Praeses Johannem  Pierce,  gradum  primum  in  ARTIBUS 

decoravit,  etc.,  etc." 

During  the  year  following  his  graduation,  from  1822  to  1823, 
he  served  very  successfully  as  principal  of  the  academy  at 


YEARS  IN  NEW  ENGLAND  61 

Wrentham,  Mass.,  in  Rev.  Enoch  Pond's  birthplace.  It  is  quite 
possible  that  the  latter  may  have  helped  him  secure  the  position. 
Late  in  1823  he  entered  Princeton  Theological  Seminary  for 
his  course  in  theology.  This  institution  was  a  Presbyterian 
school  just  coming  into  prominence,  and  generally  regarded  as 
standing  for  a  conservative  form  of  Biblical  criticism.  It  is  now 
hard  to  tell  what  drew  John  Pierce  thither;  it  may  have  been 
this  very  renown  for  orthodoxy,  or  perhaps  merely  a  desire  for  a 
different  intellectual  atmosphere.  At  any  rate,  it  did  not  result 
in  what  he  hoped,  for  he  left  in  January,  1826,  after  a  few 
months'  stay.  In  this  short  time  the  relations  between  himself  and 
the  President  had  become  strained  over  an  essay  of  Mr.  Pierce's 
which  betrayed  an  unwillingness  to  accept  certain  features  of 
Calvinistic  theology.  The  young  man,  therefore,  decided  to 
leave.  When  urged  to  remain  he  remarked  that  he  would  not 
stay  longer  as  "the  speckled  bird  to  be  shot  at."  On  the  min- 
utes of  the  seminary  faculty  this  entry  was  made:  "Mr.  John 
Pierce  was  dismissed  in  good  standing  in  January  last." 

It  has  always  been  believed  even  by  members  of  the  family 
that  Mr.  Pierce  returned  from  Princeton  to  continue  his  theolog- 
ical studies  with  Rev.  Enoch  Pond,  but  recent  investigations 
have  shown  that  he  studied  through  1824  with  Prof.  Calvin  Park 
of  Brown.  In  this  year,  also,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the 
Congregational  society,  and  the  following  year  took  charge  of  a 
church. 

He  was  now  twenty-seven  years  old,  and  his  school  prepara- 
tion was  finished.  He  had  completed  his  studies  at  a  later  age 
than  most  young  clergymen  of  his  day,  but  no  training  could  be 
better  calculated  than  his  to  develop  the  powers  of  the  individual. 
In  the  first  place  he  had  brought  to  his  college  work  a  sound 
and  mature  body,  and  a  consuming  eagerness  for  knowledge. 
The  years  in  which  his  mind  had  starved  served  only  to  render 
his  faculties  all  the  keener  upon  actual  contact  with  learning, 
and  we  find  him,  when  his  school  work  was  done,  an  independ- 
ent, thinking  man,  holding  to  views  which  he'could  justify,  with 
a  determination  characteristic  of  one  who  had  been  dubbed  in 
his  youth  "Stubborn  John." 


62  JOHN    D.   PIRRCE 

His  studies  had  resulted  not  merely  in  making  a  theologian 
of  him,  they  had  developed  a  speculative  hent  of  mind  which  led 
him  to  pause  inquiringly  before  every  subject.  Like  Terence  he 
could  say,  "I  am  a  man,  and  every  thing  that  concerns  man  is  of 
interest  to  me."  He  was  also  a  philosopher  and  a  student  of 
civilization,  and  later,  when  the  occasion  demanded,  a  philoso- 
pher of  education,  ready  to  form  the  school  system  of  a  great 
state. 

It  is  interesting  to  read  the  little  which  has  been  pre- 
served from  that  early  period  of  his  writings.  His 
style,  particularly  in  writings  of  a  literary  nature,  is 
ponderous,  sometimes  involved,  but  there  is  no  con- 
fusion of  thought.  When  once  he  had  investigated  a  subject 
certain  conclusions  stood  out  clearly  in  his  inind,  and  it  took 
good  reasons  to  shake  them.  His  language  is  the  language  of 
the  educated  man  of  his  day,  inclined  sometimes  to  be  Johnson- 
ian and  florid  in  rhetoric,  but  accurate  and  forceful.  The 
reader  will  be  interested,  perhaps,  to  read  some  extracts  from 
the  early  products  of  his  pen.  The  first  is  taken  from  a  sermon 
of  the  year  1825,  preached fromBphesians,  6: 4,  "But  bring  them 
up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

"3.  It  is  important  (the  education  of  children)  because  the 
general  interests  of  the  community  are  depending  upon  it.  The 
whole  nation  is  composed  of  families.  Hence  the  state  of  the 
whole  must  be  as  the  state  of  the  individual  families  of  which  it 
is  composed.  Obedient  children  usually  make  good  citizens  and 
good  subjects  and  good  rulers  having  been  accustomed  from  their 
early  days  to  observe  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  family,  and 
to  submit  themselves  to  its  government  they  are  prepared  to 
regard  the  laws  of  the  land  and  to  yield  obedience  to  its  consti- 
tuted authorities.  Such  children  are  prepared,  when  they  arrive 
to  years  of  maturity,  to  govern  themselves,  and  hence  they  are 
qualified  to  make  good  husbands  and  wives,  good  parents  and 
guardians.  Such  persons  are  qualified  to  enter  upon  the  active 
scenes  of  life  with  honor  to  themselves,  and  with  a  fair  prospect 
of  being  useful  members  of  society.  They  have  been  accustomed 
to  habits  of  industry,  they  have  been  taught  to  fear  the  name  of 


EARI,Y  YEARS  IN  NEW  ENGLAND  63 

the  Lord  and  to  reverence  His  ordinances  and  institutions.  We 
do  not  say  that  all  who  are  well  brought  up  do  as  they  ought ; 
but  we  do  say,  and  we  think  the  affirmation  warranted  by  gen- 
eral observation  and  experience,  that  very  few  who  have  been 
well  governed  and  instructed  from  their  early  days  ever  disap- 
point the  reasonable  expectations  of  their  fond  parents.  But  the 
case  is  far  otherwise  with  such  children  as  have  not  been  well 
brought  up — as  have  not  been  restrained  and  instructed  in  early 
life.  Disobedient  children  usually  make  bad  citizens,  bad  sub- 
jects and  bad  rulers.  Not  having  been  taught  and  made  to  obey 
at  home — not  having  been  accustomed  to  submit  to  family  gov- 
ernment, they  are  not  prepared  to  regard  the  laws  of  their  coun- 
try, or  to  yield  obedience  to  its  lawful  authority.  They  have 
never  been  taught  to  govern  themselves,  and  hence  they  are  under 
the  government  of  their  feelings,  and  consequently  exposed  to 
all  manner  of  excess.  Should  we  visit  our  common  jails  and 
state  prisons,  and  houses  of  correction  and  learn  the  history  of 
their  forlorn  and  wicked  inmates,  we  should  find  that  twenty- 
three  out  of  twenty- five  were  once  unrestrained  and  disobedient 
children,  beside  being  exposed  to  run  into  all  manner  of  evil, 
and  in  addition  to  being  bad  citizens,  subjects  and  rulers,  such 
children  make  bad  husbands  and  wives,  bad  parents  and  guard- 
ians. Since  then  so  much  is  depending  as  it  respects  the  general 
interests  of  society  and  the  proper  management  of  children,  how 
important  that  parents  and  heads  of  families  bring  up  their 
children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

The  second  extract  is  from  a  fragmentary  paper  on  Dugald 

Stewart  (17 1828),  the  Scottish  philosopher,  and  may  be 

referred  to  his  years  at  Brown. 

"To  give  the  true  character  of  Dugald  Stewart,  as  a  philoso- 
pher and  as  a  writer,  would  require  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the 
state  of  metaphysical  science  when  he  commenced  his  specula- 
tions upon  the  subject.  Such  knowledge  we  do  not  possess. 
Hence,  therefore,  a  few  general  observations  is  all  that  can  reas- 
onably be  expected.  That  Mr.  Stewart  is,  both  as  a  philosopher 
and  as  a  writer,  a  man  of  no  ordinary  rank  must  be  admitted  by 
all  who  have  read  his  works  with  any  degree  of  candour  and 


64  JOHN   D. 

attention.  It  will  not  be  pretended,  except  by  enthusiastick 
admirers,  that  Mr.  Stewart  excels  all  others,  either  in  delicacy 
of  taste,  elegance  of  composition,  accuracy  of  discrimination,  or 
fertility  of  invention— that  a  considerable  share  of  each  really 
and  justly  belongs  to  him  cannot  be  denied — that  he  is  nothing 
more  than  an  elegant  commentator,  without  originality  of 
thought  and  without  a  comprehensive  arrangement  of  subjects, 
will  hardly  be  believed,  even  though  it  should  be  said,  except  by 
such  as  are  entirely  swayed  by  prejudice,  and  wholly  destitute 
of  soundness  of  judgment — such  an  observation  could  not  be 
made  except  by  those  who  envy  him  his  great  celebrity,  or  who 
were  totally  incapable  of  understanding  the  subjects  concerning 
which  Mr.  Stewart  has  written.  His  works,  however,  will 
always  be  admired,  whenever  they  are  so  fortunate  as  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  unprejudiced  readers. 

******** 

"But  waiving  all  considerations  of  this  nature,  it  is  proposed 
to  examine  Mr.  Stewart's  speculations  respecting  the  founda- 
tion of  reasoning.  The  common  theory  upon  this  subject  is  that 
all  reasoning,  whether  moral  or  demonstrative,  is  founded  upon 
axioms,  or  rests  ultimately  upon  truths  intuitively  certain.  In 
mathematicks,  says  Dr.  Reid,  the  first  principles  from  which  we 
reason  are  a  set  of  axioms  which  are  not  only  intuitively  certain, 
but  of  which  we  find  it  impossible  to  conceive  the  contraries  to 
be  true.  Dr.  Campbell  maintains  the  same,  and  also  that  all 
moral  reasoning  may  be  reduced  to  this  general  axiom,  that 
whatever  is  is,  or  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  same  thing  to  be 
and  not  to  be.  In  short,  the  general  supposition  has  been  that 
all  correct  conclusive  reasoning  proceeds  from  axioms,  or  rests 
ultimately  upon  a  set  of  truths  intuitively  certain.  But  notwith- 
standing the  weight  of  authority  maintaining  this  doctrine,  Mr. 
Stewart  has  controverted  the  point,  and  shown  conclusively  that 
no  kind  of  reasoning  is  founded  upon  axioms  as  intuitive  truths, 
but  on  very  different  grounds — in  mathematical  science  demon- 
stration is  built  entirely  upon  definitions — and  in  all  the  other 
sciences  reasoning  is  founded  on  well  ascertained  facts — defini- 
tions holding  the  same  place  in  mathematicks  as  facts  in  all  the 


KARI^Y  YKARS  IN  NEW  ENGLAND  65 

other  branches  of  knowledge.  Definitions  and  assumed  facts 
Mr.  Stewart  calls  the  principles  of  reasoning,  because  from  them 
as  a  datum  a  train  of  reasoning  may  proceed.  Axioms,  or  intui- 
tive truths,  he  calls  elements  of  reason,  not  because  any  truth 
can  ever  be  deduced  from  them,  but  because  they  form,  as  Mr. 
Stewart  expresses  it,  a  part  of  those  original  stamina  of  human 
reason  which  are  equally  essential  to  all  the  pursuits  of  science, 
and  to  all  the  active  concerns  of  life.  It  is  true,  indeed,  in  math- 
ematical science  that  unless  such  intuitive  truths  as  these — things 
equal  to  the  same  are  equal  to  one  another,  if  equals  be  added  to 
equals  the  wholes  are  equal,  the  whole  is  greater  than  its  parts, 
or  any  of  the  nine  first  elements  in  Euclid, — be  admitted  there 
can  be  no  demonstration;  but  it  is  equally  true  that  no  inference 
or  conclusion  can  be  deduced  from  any  of  them  or  from  all  of 
them,  or  from  all  of  them  together,  therefore  no  demonstration 
can  be  founded  upon  them.  Let  any  one  make  the  attempt  aiid 
see  if  he  can  deduce  from  any  number  of  mathematical  axioms 
an  unknown  truth." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FIRST   YEARS   IN   THE   MINISTRY 

After  continuing  his  theological  studies  through  the  year  1824 
John  Pierce — the  Reverend  John  Pierce  now — was  ready  to  enter 
upon  the  duties  of  the  actual  ministry  to  which  he  had  looked 
forward  ever  since  his  conversion.  In  January,  1825,  he  was 
elected  pastor  at  Sangerfield,  Oneida  county,  New  York. 

The  future  looked  bright  for  the  young  clergyman.  He  had 
prepared  himself  at  great  pains  for  a  career  which  now  was 
dawning;  it  \vas  time,  also,  for  the  happy  consummation  of  a 
romance.  Back  in  Holden,  Massachusetts,  not  far  from  Paxton, 
where  he  had  spent  his  boyhood,  Millicent  Estabrook,  his 
betrothed  was  waiting.  In  his  student  years  at  Brown  he  had 
gone  back  to  his  home  county  to  teach  a  winter  school,  and  with 
other  conquests  had  won  the  heart  of  a  pupil.  She  was  a  young 
woman  of  more  than  usual  thoughtfulness,  and  had  dreamed  of 
sometime  becoming  a  foreign  missionary,  but  she  relinquished 
her  hopes  to  become  a  preacher's  wife.  On  February  1,  1825, 
she  and  Mr.  Pierce  were  married,  and  later  they  made  a  short 
trip  to  Boston  where  Mrs.  Pierce's  brother,  Col.  Estabrook,  was 
collector  of  the  port.  The  trip  coincided  with  the  visit  of  Gen. 
Lafayette  to  the  city,  and  the  young  couple  were  fortunate  enough 
to  be  presented  to  the  distinguished  Frenchman  at  a  banquet  in 
his  honor,  to  which  they  were  invited. 

The  Sangerfield  period  of  Mr.  Pierce's  life  was  a  most  import- 
ant one,  and  full  of  far-reaching  consequences  in  the  shaping  of 
his  future.  We  shall,  therefore,  dwell  upon  it  at  some  length. 

Accompanied  by  his  young  wife  and  his  mother,  who  had 
come  now  to  make  her  home  with  him,  Mr.  Pierce  reached  the 
scene  of  his  labors  early  in  the  year  and  at  once  began  his  pas- 
toral duties.  But  he  wanted  still  to  be  teacher  as  well  as 
preacher,  and  in  connection  with  his  church  organized  a  school 

66 


FIRST    YKARS    IN    THE)  MINISTRY  67 

in  which  both  he  and  Mrs.  Pierce  taught.  Two  years  now 
slipped  by,  years  that  were  busy,  but  not  altogether  happy  ones. 
Up  from  the  western  part  of  the  state,  like  a  storm-cloud  ready 
to  burst,  came  an  epidemic  of  fury  and  fanaticism  that  left  much 
trouble  and  disturbance  in  its  track.  It  reached  the  little  com- 
munity in  Oneida  county  where  John  D.  Pierce  was  laboring, 
and  ravaged  there  as  elsewhere. 

To  appreciate  the  situation  at  this  time  one  must  recall  some 
of  the  events  in  connection  with  the  formation  of  the  Anti- 
Masonic  party  in  American  politics,  a  party  which  arose  as  the 
result  of  the  excitement  aroused  by  the  mysterious  disappearance 
of  one  William  Morgan.  Morgan,  an  American  by  birth,  had 
come  from  York,  Upper  Canada,  and  settled  in  Batavia,  New 
York.  Towards  the  middle  of  1826  it  was  rumored  that  he  was 
about  to  publish  a  book  exposing  the  secrets  of  Masonry,  and 
under  color  of  some  criminal  process  he  was  lodged  in  the  county 
jail  at  Canandaigua.  On  the  12th  of  September  he  was  liberated, 
but  as  he  was  leaving  the  jail  he  was  seized  by  unknown  parties, 
forced  into  a  carriage  and  spirited  away.  His  fate  remains  a 
mystery  to  this  day.  In  the  subsequent  investigation  it  was 
proved  that  he  was  taken  blindfolded  in  a  closed  conveyance  to 
the  Niagara  frontier,  but  his  further  whereabouts  could  not  be 
traced.  Popular  excitement  claimed  that  he  was  abducted  by  the 
Masons,  and  upon  refusing  to  withdraw  his  book  and  renew  his 
oath  of  secrecy,  was  drowned  in  the  Niagara  River, 

Morgan's  book,  however,  appeared  and  was  followed  by 
others  of  a  similar  character,  and  while  the  revelations  generally 
fell  far  short  of  expectations,  under  the  stress  of  public  feeling 
there  speedily  developed  a  powerful  opposition  to  Masonry  and 
other  secret  societies.  All  western  New  York  was  in  a  turmoil, 
the  agitation  even  extended  to  other  states,  and  in  the  end 
took  on  a  political  and  national  significance. 

When  this  movement  reached  Oneida  county  and  Sangerfield, 
there  was  sure  to  be  trouble  in  the  little  church,  for  John  D. 
Pierce  was  a  Mason,  and  had  been  one  for  several  years.  Con- 
siderable dissatisfaction  at  once  began  to  manifest  itself,  and 
there  were  some  who  claimed  that  they  ought  not  to  retain  a 


68  JOHN   D.    FIERCE 

pastor  who  was  a  member  of  a  secret  order.  About  this  time, 
also,  occurred  the  death  of  Mrs.  Pierce,1  and  this  sorrow  added  to 
his  other  trials  led  Mr.  Pierce  to  ask  for  his  dismissal.  Some 
differences  in  doctrine  had  been  discovered  by  those  who  were 
opposed  to  the  pastor,  but  the  fact  that  he  refused  to  sever  his 
connection  with  Masonry  in  this  time  of  panic  was  without  doubt 
the  real  grievance  of  the  congregation.  Later,  when  the  difficul- 
ties were  all  temporarily  adjusted,  the  whole  history  of  the 
unpleasantness  was  written  down  and  the  old  manuscript  is  now 
drawn  upon  for  its  evidence.  In  regard  to  Masonry,  Mr.  Pierce 
says: — 

"The  second  reason  urged  for  my  dismission  is  Masonry. 
On  this  subject  I  have  but  little  to  say.  If  it  was  not  sufficient 
to  procure  my  dismission  two  years  ago  when  I  offered  to  be  dis- 
missed, it  is  no  reason  why  I  should  now  be  dismissed.  Besides 
I  have  conformed  to  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  resolution  of  the 
Association  passed  at  the  last  meeting.  And  while  I  see  fit  to  do 
so,  I  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  it  than  other  men;  and  that 
is,  the  right  of  thinking  my  own  thoughts  on  the  subject,  and  of 
declaring  them  when  asked  or  not,  as  I  deem  most  proper. 
Under  these  circumstances  if  you  say  that  it  is  a  good  reason 
why  I  should  be  dismissed,  you  declare  to  the  world  in  effect  that 
I  am  no  longer  a  fit  person  to  preach  the  gospel—." 

When  the  matter  came  to  a  vote,  however,  the  congregation 
almost  unanimously  asked  Mr.  Pierce  to  continue  as  pastor. 
The  arrears  in  salary  were  paid,  and  his  financial  support  for  the 
future  put  on  a  sound  and  permanent  basis.  Believing  that 
everything  militating  against  the  success  of  his  work  had  been 
removed,  he  now  began  to  plan  for  a  home  in  Sangerfield.  In 
1829  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Cleveland,  an  amiable  and 
accomplished  young  woman,  daughter  of  Gen.  Cleveland  of 
Madison,  New  York,  and  built  a  house  and  furnished  it.  But 
alas,  his  expectations  for  a  peaceful  pastorate  were  doomed  to  be 
disappointed.  Hardly  was  he  settled  in  his  new  house  before  the 
smouldering  elements  of  discord  broke  out  with  new  fury,  and 

1  Mrs.  Pierce  and  her  infant  son  are  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Sangerfield. 


FIRST  YEARS  IN  THK  MINISTRY  69 

early  in    1830   the  church  petitioned   the   Association    for  Mr. 
Pierce's  dismission. 

The  objections  urged  against  him  were  differences  in  doctrine, 
Masonry,  and  loss  of  usefulness,  and  his  defense  lies  before  us. 
In  many  respects  it  is  a  striking  document.  Mr.  Pierce  takes  up 
his  doctrinal  beliefs  one  by  one,  compares  them  with  the  views 
held  by  the  complaining  members  of  the  church,  and  then  pro- 
ceeds to  elucidate,  justify  and  defend  them.  He  argues  well, 
and  cites  authorities  from  Augustine  to  Luther,  and  Calvin,  and 
on  down  to  Jonathan  Edwards  and  other  later  writers.  The 
earnestness  with  which  he  does  this  shows  how  important  trivial 
considerations  of  theology  were  thought  to  be  seventy -five  years 
ago.  Whether  "the  essence  of  all  sin  is  selfishness, "  or  '  'depravity 
belongs  exclusively  to  the  heart,"  as  Mr.  Pierce  was  accused  of 
believing,  does  not  seem  a  very  momentous  thing  now,  nor  much 
calculated  to  interfere  with  pastoral  success. 

That  Mr.  Pierce's  orthodoxy  should  have  been  challenged  at 
this  time  seems  all  the  more  strange  in  the  light  of  a  letter  which 
he  wrote  to  his  old  friend  and  teacher,  Dr.  Enoch  Pond,  the 
same  year.  It  appears  that  Dr.  Pond  had  accepted  the  editor- 
ship of  The  Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims,  a  publication  recently  estab- 
lished in  Boston,  and  designed  to  promote  the  interests  of 
orthodoxy  in  the  church.  When  Mr.  Pierce  heard  of  this  he 
addressed  him  a  letter  beginning  thus : — 
"Rev.  &  dear  Sir: 

Ever  since  I  left  your  friendly  abode  where  I  commenced 
my  course  of  study,  I  have  cherished  a  high  respect  for  you  as  a 
man  of  learning  and  as  a  Christian  minister.  I  have  regarded 
you  as  t  advocate,  unyielding  and  firm,  of  t  leading  &  essential 
truths  of  t  gospel.  It  was,  therefore,  with  deep  concern  that  I 
learned  the  other  day  th  you  had  recently  left  your  people  to 
take  charge  of  t.  S.  of  t.  P.  In  some  circumstances  such  an 
arrangement  would  have  given  me  much  satisfaction,  because  I 
believe  you  are  well  qualified  to  conduct  ably  a  work  whose  ob- 
ject it  shall  be  to  inculcate  and  defend  t  great  and  fundamental 
doctrines  of  divine  revelation.  But  I  cannot,  so  far,  regard  t.  S. 
of  t.  P.  in  this  light.  I  think  t.  P.  would  be  unwilling  to  own 


70  JOHN     D.     PIERCE 

such  a  work.  It  professes  to  be  highly  orthodox;  but  is  ortho- 
doxy wh  embraces  in  its  arms  errors  of  every  description.  In  t 
first  No.  it  professes  to  give  an  outline  of  t  gospel.  But  how 
meagre  a  view  of  t  gospel  this!  There  is  nothing  in  it  discrim- 
inating— nothing  wh  t  rankest  Arminian  may  not  assent  to.  T 
universal  decrees  of  and  agency  of  G— his  sovereignty— election 
and  reprobation — &  disinterested  benevolence,  or  t  essence  of  true 
religion  find  no  place.  Are  those  things  wh  always  distinguish  t 
gospel  from  all  false  schemes  of  religion  to  be  excluded?  Are 
these  things  to  be  left  out  of  a  work  wh  claims  to  bet.  S.  of  t  P., 
which  prophets  &  apostles  took  so  much  pains  to  establish  & 
defend,  etc.?" 

As  to  Masonry,  we  have  already  seen  Mr.  Pierce's  rejoinder. 
But  the  third  objection  made  against  him  was  the  one,  we  may 
believe,  which  touched  him  most  keenly,  and  in  the  light  of  his 
subsequent  career  for  fifty  years,  seems  now  like  a  burlesque  on 
the  judgment  of  some  very  well-meaning,  and  no  doubt  pious 
people. 

"The  third  reason  urged  for  my  dismission  is  loss  of  useful- 
ness. If  my  usefulness  is  lost,  how  came  it  to  be  destroyed?  Is 
it  my  fault?  Has  my  deportment  among  the  people  been  such 
as  to  destroy  it?  Or  is  it  the  fault  of  members  of  the  church? 
Have  they  not  said  and  done  many  things  which  must  greatly 
have  tended  to  injure  it?  There  is  evidently  a  fault  somewhere, 
if  my  usefulness  in  this  place  is  at  an  end.  If  it  is  owing  to 
unchristian  conduct  in  me,  then  I  ought  to  humble  myself  before 
God — plead  guilty  and  be  silent.  But  is  my  usefulness  at  an  end? 
The  subject  certainly  demands  investigation,  and  it  is  my  inten- 
tion to  go  into  it  so  far  as  to  show  that  if  it  be  lost,  the  respon- 
sibility of  it  does  not  rest  with  me.  So  much  is  done  in  justice 
to  myself." 

The  appeal  to  the  Association  resulted  in  a  complete  vindica- 
tion of  Mr.  Pierce  on  every  point.  Particularly  was  his  theology 
pronounced  sound  and  in  accordance  "with  the  confession  of 
faith  of  this  Association,  and  with  the  doctrines  which  are,  and 
have  been  long  known  in  this  region  and  in  New  England  under 
the  name  of  the  orthodox  doctrines  or  Strict  Galvanism." 


FIRST  YEARS  IN  THE  MINISTRY  71 

The  Association,  however,  in  light  of  all  the  circumstances t 
agreed  that  it  would  be  for  the  best  to  dissolve  the  relations 
between  pastor  and  people,  but  that  Mr.  Pierce  should  receive 
compensation  for  the  financial  loss  he  would  incur  through  such  a 
settlement.  As  this  proposal  represented  Mr.  Pierce's  wishes,  it 
was  assented  to  by  both  parties,  and  in  this  way  the  matter 
was  closed. 

-In  the  summer  of  1830,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  removed  from 
Sangerfield  to  Goshen,  Conn.,  where  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Pierce  was 
living.  Mr.  Pierce  acted  as  teacher  in  an  academy  for  a  time, 
and  also  preached  as  occasion  offered,  in  the  pulpits  of  the  sur- 
rounding towns.  But  neither  the  young  pastor  nor  his  wife  was 
contented.  Mrs.  Pierce  said  the  only  business  of  the  place  was 
going  to  mill  and  to  meeting,  and  discussing  the  merits  of  quar- 
rels that  were  a  hundred  years  old.  It  was  just  at  this  time  that 
the  call  of  the  West  began  to  be  heard  in  New  England,  and 
along  with  many  others  Mr.  Pierce  harkened  to  the  voice.  Hav- 
ing been  appointed  by  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  to 
work  in  Illinois,  or  Michigan,  he  set  out  in  the  early  part  of  1831 
to  spy  out  the  land  before  moving  his  family  into  the  new  coun- 
try. His  wife  returned  for  the  time  to  her  father's  home 
in  New  York,  and  his  mother,  who  did  not  wish  to  undergo  the 
privations  of  frontier  life,  went  to  live  with  a  daughter  in  Massa- 
chusetts. l 

At  this  point  we  can  hardly  forbear  to  moralize  a  little  over 
some  of  the  strange  turns  in  human  destiny.  Doubtless  in  the 
life  history  of  almost  every  individual  there  comes  somewhere  a 
parting  of  the  road  involving  decisions  of  much  moment  in  one's 
after  life.  If  John  D.  Pierce's  pastorate  at  Sangerfield  had 
proved  a  pleasant  one,  he  doubtless  would  never  have  turned  his 
face  toward  the  wilderness.  We  do  not  imagine  that  he  would 

1  Mrs.  Sarah  Davis  (Pierce)  Foster  died  May  23, 1848,  aged  eighty-four,  and 
her  grave  is  in  Sleepy  Hollow  Cemetery,  Concord.  After  her  return  from 
Oneida  County,  New  York,  she  lived  for  some  years  with  Mr.  Pierce's  only 
sister  Sally  (Seep.  57),  wife  of  Edmund  Hosmer,  of  Concord,  friend  of  Thoreau, 
Emerson,  and  Hawthorne,  and  himself  a  thinker  and  scholar.  Mrs.  Hosmer, 
who  was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  all  prominent  and  successful  in  life,  died 
July  8,  1890,  at  the  age  of  ninety-five. 


72  JOHN    D.     PIERCE 

have  lived  an  obscure  life  in  New  England,  like  so  many  clergy- 
men of  his  day  and  generation,  content  to  vegetate  in  some  quiet 
community,  and  ambitious  only  to  preserve  a  strict  quarantine 
against  new  theological  ideas.  He  would  have  grown  in  any 
environment,  but  he  would  probably  have  had  no  opportunity 
to  inaugurate  a  great  system  of  education  for  a  commonwealth. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WITH  THE    PIONEERS   IN   MICHIGAN 

Mr.  Pierce  departed  for  the  West  in  May,  1831,  and  by  the 
first  of  June  had  reached  Detroit.  Here  he  met  a  committee  of 
the  Home  Missionary  Society,  with  whom  he  consulted  in  regard 
to  future  operations  and  a  desirable  field  of  labor.  In  the  course 
of  the  discussion  the  question  of  church  government  and  affilia- 
tion, and  the  formation  of  new  churches,  was  brought  up,  and  the 
remark  was  dropped  that  it  was  expected  that  he  would  join  the 
Presbyterian  Church  and  not  attempt  to  organize  any  Congrega- 
tional societies;  Congregationalism  might  do  for  New  England, 
but  it  was  not  adapted  to  the  wilderness.  The  young  clergy- 
man's answer  was  emphatic.  He  was  satisfied,  he  said,  that  Con- 
gregationalism was  the  Scriptural  mode  of  church  government, 
and  that  if  it  was  adapted  to  the  primitive  times  in  New  Eng- 
land it  would  not  be  less  so  to  the  new  settlements  of  the  west. 

From  Detroit  he  journeyed  inland,  but  let  us  quote  his  own 
words: —  l 

"Leaving  Detroit,  I  spent  four  Sabbaths  at  Ann  Arbor,  and 
then  passed  on  to  Marshall,  recently  established  as  the  seat  of 
justice  for  Calhoun  County.  Arriving  here  the  last  of  June,  I 
found  one  or  two  shanties  and  a  double  log  house  partly  done. 
The  next  day,  it  being  the  Sabbath  day,  July  1st,  1831,  by  con- 
sent of  the  owner  of  the  log  house  a  meeting  was  appointed.  The 
entire  community  assembled;  not  one  of  the  settlers  was  absent. 
When  the  congregation  came  together  it  numbered  about  twenty - 
five.  Some  present  were  non-residents  in  search  of  locations, 
land  lookers  as  they  were  then  called.  The  novelty  of  the  scene 
induced  all  to  attend.  There  was  one  congressman  and  one 
judge  from  the  east,  and  others  were  men  of  learning  and  Intel - 

1  "Congregationalism  in  Michigan."  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical 
Collections.  Vol.  12,  p.  354. 

73 


74  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

ligence.  At  that  time  there  were  three  white  females  in  the 
country,  two  at  Marshall,  and  one  twelve  miles  west.  I  never 
preached  to  a  more  attentive  congregation.  This  was  my  text, 
found  in  Gen.  3:10:  "And  he  said,  I  heard  thy  voice  in  the 
garden,  and  I  was  afraid  because  I  was  naked  and  I  hid  myself." 
It  was  my  purpose  to  show  that  without  a  revelation  from  God 
man  had  reason  to  despair  of  being  saved.  This  was  the  first 
Christian  assembly,  and  the  first  sermon  ever  preached  in  all  that 
region  for  hundreds  of  miles  in  extent,  where  the  red  man  and 
his  companion  hunter,  the  wolf,  had  roamed  as  free  as  air  for 
ages." 

Mr.  Pierce  had  originally  intended  to  locate  in  Chicago,  but 
on  this  preliminary  trip  he  was  so  attracted  to  Marshall,  after 
staying  there  some  three  months,  that  he  determined  to  return 
east  for  his  family  and  settle  there.  Late  in  the  autumn  he  was 
back  again  in  Calhoun  County,  bag  and  baggage,  transporting  his 
goods  from  Detroit  by  ox  teams.  In  Chapter  III,  page  45,  we 
have  quoted  from  Rev.  Mr.  Thompson's  account  of  how  he  met 
Mr.  Pierce  and  his  party  in  the  woods  west  of  Jackson  when  he 
was  moving  in  from  Detroit.  We  now  continue  the  narrative:  — 

"Late  in  the  evening  we  saw  the  light  of  the  long-looked-for 
tavern,  as  it  shone  through  the  chinks  of  the  logs,  a  sight  most 
welcome  to  us.  Our  caravan  halted  before  the  door— only  there 
was  no  door  there,  a  blanket  being  where  the  door  should  be. 
The  shanty  was  only  partly  covered  with  shakes ;  the  rain  was 
pouring  in  at  one  end,  and  a  cook-stove  stood  on  the  ground  in 
the  middle.  The  stove  was  soon  put  in  requisition,  and  the 
coarse  fare  was  a  great  relief  to  us  hungry,  weary  mortals.  After 
supper  we  prepared  to  retire  for  the  night,  but  where  to  retire  to 
was  the  question.  Some  of  the  company  packed  themselves 
away  in  the  only  bedstead,  others  under  it  on  the  ground,  their 
husbands  next,  and  the  remainder  of  us  occupying  a  little  more 
than  the  remainder  of  the  dry  ground  in  the  shanty.  Sleep  soon 
came  to  the  relief  of  the  weary  bodies,— at  least  it  was  so  with  one 
of  the  number.  The  morning  came,  a  dark,  gloomy  morning; 
the  rain  was  still  falling,  so  we  made  another  requisition  on  the 
potato  pile  and  pork  barrel,  after  which  Mrs.  Pierce  sang  so 


WITH  THE  PIONEERS  IN  MICHIGAN  75 

beautifully  as  few  persons  can  sing,  'Home  Sweet  Home,'  and 
then  turned  her  face  to  the  wall  and  wept.  .... 
That  day  we  reached  Marshall,  consisting  then  of  one  log  house, 
and  another  in  process  of  erection ;  a  few  immigrants  had  planted 
themselves  in  the  beautiful  and  fertile  land  of  that  vicinity.  The 
next  day  being  the  Sabbath,  we  had  public  worship;  a  young 
Methodist  clergyman  by  the  name  of  Pilcher  preached  in  the 
morning,  and  the  Rev.  J.  D.  Pierce,  one  of  our  company,  in  the 
afternoon.  These  meetings  were  held  in  the  unfinished  log 
house  of  Mr.  Sidney  Ketchum." 

It  had  been  Mr.  Pierce 's  intention  to  settle  somewhere 
beyond  Marshall,  near  Battle  Creek,  where  he  had  purchased 
some  land,  but  upon  his  arrival  from  the  east  he  was  urged  by 
the  people  of  the  little  settlement  to  locate  there  and  make  his 
home  in  their  midst.  There  were  already  eight  college-bred 
men  there, — this  fact  appealed  to  him — and  then  the  people 
promised  to  do  what  they  could  toward  his  support.  To  show 
their  purpose  they  gave  him  a  village  lot  with  a  double  log  house 
upon  it,  which  he  immediately  occupied. 

Mr.  Pierce  did  not  come  into  the  territory  like  so  many  in  the 
pioneer  period  without  money  or  equipment.  His  father-in-law, 
General  Cleveland,  of  Madison,  New  York,  a  gentleman  of 
wealth  and  prominence,  had  fitted  the  couple  out  with  abundant 
supplies  and  furniture,  and  they  were  able  to  begin  housekeeping 
under  comparatively  favorable  circumstances.  The  double  log 
house  was  fitted  up  to  the  extent  of  its  possibilities,  and  since  it 
was  the  most  commodious  house  in  the  little  settlement,  it 
speedily  became  a  stopping  place  for  travellers  and  land-lookers. 
With  all  her  aristocratic  training,  Mrs.  Pierce  was  a  frugal 
housewife,  and  she  saw  here  a  way  to  add  an  honest  dollar  now 
and  then  to  the  income  of  her  missionary  husband.  As  one 
reads  the  accounts  of  the  settling  of  Calhoun  County,  he  comes 
upon  many  tributes  to  the  good  accommodations  of  the  Pierce 
house.  But  Mr.  Pierce  was  first  of  all  a  preacher,  and  his  house 
served  also  for  a  church.  For  the  first  two  years  meetings  were 
held  in  it  almost  every  Sabbath.  And  when  the  Methodist 
circuit-rider  appeared  on  his  quest  for  souls,  as  he  did  soon,  two 


76  JOHN  D. 

services  a  week  were  kept  up  in  the  little  village  with  cordial 
relations.  The  first  winter  some  sixty  persons  remained  over  in 
Marshall.  In  the  spring  more  settlers  came,  and  the  double  log 
house,  big  as  it  was,  could  hardly  contain  the  strangers.  But  here 
is  Mr.  Pierced  own  chronicle  of  the  fateful  year: 

"In  May,  1832,  the  First  Congregational  Church  was  formed, 
consisting  of  seven  members.  Mr.  Steven  Kimball  was  chosen  its 
first  deacon.  It  was  in  July  of  this  year  that  the  cholera,  'the 
pestilence  that  walketh  in  the  darkness,  and  the  destruction  that 
wasteth  at  noonday,'  came,  and  two  of  our  members  died.  That 
was  truly  a  day  of  gloom.  Such  a  one  I  hope  never  to  see  again. 
One  of  the  victims  was  my  own  wife,  a  noble  Christian  woman, 
whose  lifeless  form  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  preparing  for  the 
grave  with  my  own  hands,  assisted  by  one  man,  and  he  a  stranger. 
Her  death  was  occasioned  by  her  sympathy  for  others  in  distress. 
She  visited  a  family  that  had  just  moved  in  from  Detroit  to  escape 
the  dreaded  cholera,  from  whom  a  son  had  just  been  taken  to  the 
grave,  'for  the  express  purpose,'  as  she  expressed  it,  'of  tryingto 
comfort  them  a  little.  On  entering  the  house  she  found  the 
mother  dying,  the  father  prostrate,  and  another  son  coming  down 
with  the  disease,  who  soon  after  died.  She  was  deeply  moved. 
On  her  return  she  said,  'I  cried  like  a  child  when  I  saw  how 
afflicted  they  were.'  Immediately  after,  she  too  was  taken  with 
all  the  fearful  symptoms,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that  she 
must  go,  and  in  about  twenty  hours  was  on  her  way  to  her  last 
resting  place;  but  she  died  in  hope,— having  no  fear  of  death, — 
praying  for  her  two  little  ones.  I  may  add  that  when  it  was 
known  that  the  cholera  was  in  our  midst,  many  fled  the  place. 
There  remained  about  seventy  persons.  Of  this  number  eight 
died,  ten  others  were  severely  attacked,  but  recovered;  and  all 
within  the  compass  of  eight  days." 

Thus  Mr.  Pierce  was  a  second  time  bereaved,  and  two  babes  were 
left  without  a  mother's  care.  Not  being  able  to  provide  for  his 
own  children  properly  in  Marshall,  he  took  them  in  the  fall  of 
1832  to  his  wife's  home  in  Madison,  N.  Y.  He  spent  the  follow- 
ing winter  there  and  elsewhere  preaching,  but  the  next  year 
returned  to  Michigan  and  took  up  his  labors  again  in  the  same 


WITH  THE  PIONEERS  IN   MICHIGAN  77 

field.  About  this  time  he  began  preaching  occasionally  in  Homer 
township,  where  a  little  church  of  twenty  members  was  built  up, 
and  later  he  helped  establish  a  church  in  Richland,  Kalamazoo 
County.  He  also  journeyed  about  through  the  surrounding 
settlements,  preaching  in  school  houses,  private  dwellings,  or 
taverns.  In  1874  Mr.  Pierce  attended  a  pioneer  gathering  in 
Marshall,  and  in  the  course  of  some  remarks  touching  his  early 
days  there,  said: — 

"I  held  the  first  meeting  and  organized  the  first  church  also, 
in  both  of  the  counties  of  Branch  and  Eaton,  and  married  the 
first  pair  and  preached  the  first  funeral  sermon  in  Calhoun  and 
Eaton  counties,  I  have  travelled  a  hundred  miles  to  marry  a 
pair  and  to  preach  a  funeral  sermon." 

During  this  year  (1833)  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Reed,  who  had 
been  a  member  of  his  Sangerfield  church,  but  was  at  this  time 
teaching  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  where  she  had  formerly  been  a  stu- 
dent. Although  her  tastes  were  literary,  and  her  life  up  to  this 
time  had  been  devoted  to  study  and  education,  under  the  enthus- 
iasm of  Mr.  Pierce  she  was  eager  to  try  pioneer  life  in  the  west, 
and  no  disenchantment  came  when  brought  face  to  face  with 
actual  conditions.  The  women  of  Michigan  in  that  primitive 
time  were  of  heroic  stamp,  and  no  story  of  our  early  history  is 
complete  which  does  not  recognize  their  courage.  No  sacrifice  was 
too  great  for  them,  no  danger  too  threatening,  and  side  by  side 
with  their  husbands  they  entered  the  wilderness,  and  left  there 
the  heritage  of  their  virtue  aud  fortitude. 

When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  reached  Marshall  in  the  summer 
of  1833,  they  found  the  place  astir  with  activity  and  enterprise, 
and  they  entered  heartily  into  the  life  of  the  community.  Mrs. 
Pierce  in  her  new  home  showed  the  same  enthusiasm  and  devo- 
tion to  duty  that  had  characterized  her  in  her  school  work  in  the 
East,  and  became  at  once  a  faithful  help-meet  to  her  husband. 
Wherever  sickness  ravaged  the  settlement  she  hastened  with  com- 
fort and  assistance ;  she  was  always  a  friend  of  the  poor  and 
needy,  and  bestowed  a  bountiful  hospitality  upon  the  stranger 
within  her  gates.  During  the  absence  of  her  husband  on  his 
preaching  trips,  and  later  when  engaged  in  his  public  official  work 


78  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

for  the  state,  she  was  the  prudent  housewife  and  manager,  and 
directed  with  skillful  hand  the  various  business  interests  which 
devolved  upon  her.  Almost  three-quarters  of  a  century  has 
passed  since  she  first  saw  that  little  collection  of  log  houses  on 
the  banks  of  the  Kalamazoo  River.  Most  of  the  men  and  women 
she  knew  there  in  that  early  day  have  long  since  been  sleeping 
with  her  husband  in  that  beautiful  cemetery  on  the  river  bank, 
but  she  has  been  spared,  venerable  and  honored,  to  live  over  into 
the  new  century.  And  now  at  the  age  of  96,— she  was  born  Sep- 
tember 20,  1809 — she  greets  the  appearance  of  this  volume  with 
lively  interest,  having  done  much  in  many  ways  to  make  its  pub- 
lication possible. 

Mr.  Pierce  came  to  Marshall  as  a  missionary,  and  we  have 
told  of  the  zeal  with  which  he  looked  after  the  religious  interests 
of  the  community.  But  he  was  a  public-spirited  citizen  as  well 
as  clergyman.  No  atmosphere  of  false  ecclesiastical  dignity  sur- 
rounded him.  When  the  first  frame  house  was  erected  in  Marshall, 
during  the  "raising"  he  held  the  foot  of  one  of  the  corner  posts  of 
the  structure;  he  was  postmaster  of  the  place  and  kept  all  the 
mail  in  the  case  of  the  family  clock;  he  also  traded  in  lands,  and 
in  1832  we  find  records  of  his  selling  160  acres  near  what  is  now 
Battle  Creek,  to  Moses  Hall,  for  fourteen  shillings  an  acre.  He 
with  others  built  the  mill  at  Ceresco  on  the  Kalamazoo  River,  and 
he  it  was  who  named  the  place  after  Ceres,  the  goddess  of  agri- 
culture. He  also  owned  a  farm,  and  was  interested  in  every- 
thing that  related  to  the  intellectual  and  political  progress  of  the 
community.  He  belonged  to  various  debating  and  literary  socie- 
ties. There  is  before  us  as  we  write,  the  faded  pages  of  an  essay, 
"The  Earth— Its  History  and  Final  Destiny,"  which  begins:  — 

"Gentlemen  of  the  Marshall  Lyceum!" 

When  the  Democratic  Expounder  was  started  in  1838  he 
became  a  regular  contributor  to  its  pages.  Some  of  his  articles 
from  the  time  of  the  "Railroad  War"  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
refer  to  in  a  subsequent  chapter.  But  let  us  now  follow  his  career 
in  public  life  during  the  first  few  years  of  Michigan's  statehood. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


SUPERINTENDENT  OF   PUBLIC   INSTRUCTION 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1832,  a  law  was  passed  by  the  Territorial 
legislature  authorizing  an  election  in  the  following  October  to 
decide  "whether  it  be  expedient  for  the  people  of  the  Territory  to 
form  a  State  government."  The  resulting  vote  showed  an  over- 
whelming desire  for  the  change.  But  the  coming  of  the  cholera, 
and  the  breaking  out  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  conspired  to  retard 
any  definite  move  in  that  direction,  and  so  it  was  not  till  January, 
1835,  that  an  act  was  passed  providing  for  the  election  of  dele- 
gates which  should  assemble  in  Detroit  in  May  to  formulate  a 
constitution  and  state  government.  This  convention  met,  and 
after  much  discussion  submitted  a  constitution  which  was  adopted 
in  October  of  the  same  year.  The  new  constitution  did  not  differ 
materially  from  those  of  the  other  states  carved  out  of  the  North- 
west Territory  except  in  its  provisions  for  education,  which  in 
the  convention  had  been  in  the  hands  of  Isaac  E).  Crary,  the  ^ 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  education. 

Mr.  Crary  was  in  every  way  a  distinguished  man,  and  his 
memory  deserves  well  of  the  citizens  of  Michigan.  He  came  of 
good  Puritan  stock,  and  was  born  in  Preston,  Conn.,  Oct.  2, 
1804.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  entered  Washington  (now  Trinity) 
College  where  he  graduated.  lyater  he  read  law,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  practiced  for  two  years.  During  this  period  he 
was  also  associated  with  George  D.  Prentice  in  editing  The  New 
England  Review  of  Hartford.  In  1832  he  removed  to  Marshall, 
where  he  at  once  became  prominent  in  local  affairs.  Upon  the 
reorganization  of  the  state  militia  in  1836  he  was  appointed  major- 
general  of  the  third  division.  Here  is  the  origin  of  the  title  of 
"General"  by  which  he  is  usually  known.  In  Congress  he  was 
once  twitted  by  Tom  Corwin  of  having  seen  no  other  battle  than 
that  of  the  "Watermelon  patch"  in  the  wilds  of  Michigan. 

79 


80  JOHN   D.   PIERCE 

Mr.  Crary's  career  in  Washington  in  the  service  of  the  state 
was  an  honorable  one.  He  did  yeoman  service  in  the  Constitu- 
tional Convention  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  and  also  in 
the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Much  of  the  work  car- 
ried out  so  successfully  by  Mr.  Pierce  when  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction  was  made  possible  by  his  encouragement  and 
cooperation.  Some  people  hold  that  Mr.  Crary  has  never  received 
due  recognition  for  the  share  he  had  in  the  establishment  of  our 
school  system,  and  that  he  rather  than  John  D.  Pierce  should 
get  credit  for  the  plan.  A  good  deal  of  investigation  has  per- 
suaded us  that  there  is  no  real  ground  for  this  belief.  Mr.  Crary 
and  Mr.  Pierce  were  intimate  friends.  They  counseled  together 
on  all  phases  of  educational  work,  as  Mr.  Pierce's  own  words1 
will  show,  but  that  Mr.  Crary  was  ever  more  than  an  enthusias- 
tic adviser  of  Mr.  Pierce  is  nowhere  apparent.  Mr.  VanBuren's 
tribute  to  him  is  a  fair  one:  "There  was  not  a  particle  of  the 
partisan  in  Isaac  K.  Crary.  If  he  erred  in  his  political  course  it 
was  error  of  his  judgment  and  not  of  intention.  That  he  was  a 
politician  is  true.  But  whether  discussing  party  principles  at 
the  hustings,  or  national  affairs  in  legislative  council,  he  was  the 
same  candid,  able  counselor  in  the  one  case  as  the  other.  He  was 
foremost  among  our  early  statesmen  in  discovering  the  wants  of 
the  new  state,  and  his  master  hand  is  seen  not  only  in  its  full 
and  thorough  organization,  but  in  the  establishment  of  those 
institutions  that  have  made  it  a  great  and  prosperous  common- 
wealth." 

He  died  in  1854  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  at    Marshall. 

We  have  now  come  to  Mr.  Pierce's  entrance  into  public  life 
and  can  do  no  better  than  to  quote  from  his  own  account2  of  it, 
which  our  observation  touching  the  organization  of  the  state  gov- 
ernment and  the  career  of  Gen.  Isaac  Crary  will,  we  hope,  serve 
to  make  clear. 

"It  was  at  this  period  of  our  history  that  the  Michigan  school 
system  had  its  inception  and  origin.  Gen.  I.  E.  Crary,  a  grad- 

1  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections.  Vol.  17,  p.  245. 

2  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  1. 


THE       PIERCE      OAK       IN       MARSHALL 


SUPERINTENDENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION  81 

uate  of  an  eastern  college,  and  a  warm  friend  of  education,  was 
for  a  year  or  two  an  inmate  of  my  house.  The  condition  and 
prospects  of  our  new  State  were  often  subjects  of  discussion,  and 
especially  of  schools  of  various  grades,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest." 

"About  this  time  Cousin's  report  of  the  Prussian  system 
made  to  the  French  minister  of  public  instruction  came  into  my 
hands,  and  it  was  read  with  much  interest.  Sitting  one  pleasant 
afternoon  upon  a  log  on  the  hill  north  of  where  the  court  house 
at  Marshall  now  stands,  Gen.  Crary  and  myself  discussed  for  a 
long  time  the  fundamental  principles  which  were  deemed  import- 
ant for  the  convention  to  adopt  in  laying  the  foundations  of  our 
State.  The  subject  of  education  was  a  theme  of  especial  interest. 
It  was  agreed,  if  possible,  that  it  should  make  a  distinct  branch 
of  the  government,  and  that  the  constitution  ought  to  provide 
for  an  officer  who  should  have  the  whole  matter  in  charge  and 
thus  keep  its  importance  perpetually  before  the  public  mind. 
•*•*•*****# 

"Up  to  this  period,  though  I  had  often  counseled  with  Mr. 
Crary  as  to  what  ought  to  be  done  to  promote  the  best  interests 
of  our  new  State,  yet  I  ha'd  not  thought  of  ever  occupying  the 
position  provided  for  by  the  constitution,  being  constantly 
employed  in  the  work  of  a  missionary  of  the  American  Home 
Missionary  Society.  On  his  way  to  Washington  General  Crary 
held  a  consultation  with  Governor  Mason,  and  proposed  my 
name  for  the  newly  created  office.  The  Governor  expressed  a 
wish  to  see  me  on  the  subject,  as  we  were  then  wholly  unac- 
quainted. I  accordingly  visited  Detroit  and  had  an  interview 
with  the  Governor,  about  the  20th  of  July.  After  discussing  the 
matter  at  some  length,  the  result  was  that  on  the  26th  of  the 
same  month  in  1836,  I  was  nominated  and  unanimously  confirmed 
as  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction." 

After  Mr.  Pierce  received  his  commission  to  office  he  deter- 
mined to  go  east  and  study  the  operation  of  schools.  As  he  says, 
his  object  was  "information  in  regard  to  schools,  from  the  pri- 
mary school  to  the  University;  their  organization,  management 


82  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

and  support.  The  whole  subject  has  been  committed  to  my 
hands.  Besides,  I  had  over  a  million  acres  of  University  and 
school  lands  to  look  after.  Such,  then,  was  the  responsibility 
and  such  the  interests  involved, — interests  not  only  for  the  then 
present,  but  for  the  future.  A  failure,  or  even  a  bad  beginning, 
must  necessarily  affect  the  State  in  its  educational  interests  for  a 
long  time." 

As  ready  money  was  scarce,  Mr.  Pierce  sold  his  big  log  house 
in  Marshall  for  $600  to  get  funds  for  the  trip.  Mrs.  Pierce,  who 
was  in  poor  health  at  this  time,  accompanied  him.  They  left  in 
August,  going  in  a  lumber  wagon  to  Detroit,  and  thence  by 
steamboat  to  Buffalo.  The  rest  of  the  way  was  made  by  canal 
boat,  train  and  stage. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  a  prophecy  made 
by  Mr.  Pierce  on  this  visit  to  New  England.  At  a  dinner  party 
given  in  his  honor  in  Concord  by  his  sister,  Mrs.  Hosmer,  he 
remarked  that  he  had  been  three  weeks  on  the  road  from  Mich- 
igan, but  that  he  should  live  to  see  the  day  when  the  trip  could 
be  made  in  one.  The  Concord  philosophers  laughed  and  said  he 
was  visionary,  yet  he  himself  made  the  journey  before  his  death 
in  a  day  and  a  half. 

While  in  the  east  he  conferred  with  many  prominent  men, 
among  whom  he  names  John  A.  Dix,  Secretary  of  State,  and 
Superintendent  of  Common  Schools,  in  New  York,  Governor 
William  L>.  Marcy  of  New  York,  and  Edward  Everett,  Governor 
of  Massachusetts.  He  was  fortunate  enough  also  to  meet  Presi- 
dent Humphrey  of  Amherst  while  travelling  by  stage ;  he  attended 
Commencement  exercises  at  Brown,  then  journeyed  to  Connecti- 
cut where  he  met  President  Jeremiah  Day  of  Yale.  On  his  way 
back  across  Massachussetts  he  visited  the  scene  of.  his  boyhood 
at  Paxton  and  preached  there.  He  also  found  time  enough  to 
attend  the  American  Institute  of  Instruction  held  at  Worcester. 

Nothing  shows  the  versatile  genius  of  Mr.  Pierce  more  than 
the  record  of  this  trip.  He  had  suddenly  emerged  from  a  remote 
settlement  on  the  frontier,  laid  aside  the  garb  of  a  frontier  mis- 
sionary, and  now  was  a  keen  observer  and  investigator  of  educa- 
tional affairs.  The  men  and  institutions  that  he  drew  upon  for 


SUPERINTENDENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION  83 

ideas  were  widely  known,  and  he  knew  exactly  what  help  they 
could  give  him.  The  fact,  also,  that  he  attended  the  Institute  of 
Instruction,  and  later  the  College  of  Professional  Teachers  at 
Cincinnati,  is  significant.  These  gatherings  were  the  two  great 
teachers'  associations  of  America  at  that  time, — the  one  in  Mas- 
sachusetts combining  lyceum  features  with  those  of  a  convention, 
the  other  more  like  a  modern  teachers'  institute.  The  most  vital 
questions  and  needs  of  education  were  discussed  at  these  meet- 
ings, and  John  D.  Pierce  had  suddenly  become  an  educator. 
And  yet  not  suddenly ;  his  great  nature  was  showing  itself  merely 
in  a  new  phase. 

If  Mr.  Pierce  met  Horace  Mann  at  this  time — and  it  is  doubt- 
ful— it  was  surely  at  this  meeting  at  Worcester,  for  a  great  ques- 
tion was  up  at  the  session  of  1836,  a  question  that  Michigan  had 
already  settled,  viz.,  the  appointment  of  a  superintendent  of  pub- 
lic instruction  for  the  state.  It  was  voted  at  this  meeting  to 
memorialize  the  legislature  to  that  end,  but  when  the  matter  was 
finally  worked  out,  instead  of  a  superintendent  there  was  a  board 
of  education,  and  Horace  Mann  was  its  first  secretary. 

The  meeting  of  teachers  at  Cincinnati  in  October,  which  Mr. 
Pierce  attended  on  his  way  home,  was  a  source  of  much  encour- 
agement to  him.  If  the  organization  stood  for  anything  it  was 
for  the  "diffusion  of  knowledge  in  regard  to  education,  and 
especially  by  aiming  at  the  elevation  of  the  character  of  teachers 
who  shall  have  adopted  instruction  as  their  regular  profession."  l 
For  Mr.  Pierce 's  own  views  on  the  teacher's  profession  and 
training,  the  reader  is  referred  to  a  subsequent  chapter. 

Upon  his  return  to  Marshall  Mr.  Pierce  found  that  property 
had  risen  in  value,  and  he  was  obliged  to  pay  $1500  for  a  house. 
From  a  financial  point  of  view  the  interruption  of  residence  there 
had  been  a  costly  experience.  He  now  set  about  drawing  up  a 
report  to  the  legislature,  and  his  recommendations  were  adopted 
practically  in  their  entirety.  The  way  was  thus  ready  for  tangible 
results. 

Although  he  kept  his   office   at  Marshall  much   of   the   time 

1  Article  I,  of  the  constitution  of  the  College  of  Professional  Teachers. 


84  JOHN  D.  PIERCE; 

while  he  was  Superintendent,  still  the  fact  that  the  seat  of  govern  - 
ment  was  at  Detroit  necessitated  his  absence  from  home  for  long 
periods.  Whenever  he  was  in  Detroit  he  boarded  with  Mrs.  Elihu 
Newberry  whose  husband  had  come  originally  from  Sangerfield, 
New  York.  It  was  in  this  home  that  he  became  acquainted  with 
John  Starkweather,  later  aclerk  in  his  office.  Before  Mr.  Pierce's 
term  of  office  expired  Mr.  Starkweather  bought  a  school-land 
farm  near  Ypsilanti,  and  in  the  course  of  time  became  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  Washtenaw  county.  When  Mr.  Pierce 
transferred  his  residence  to  Ypsilanti  in  1853  he  found  a 
staunch  friend  in  Mr.  Starkweather,  and  in  the  memorial  chapel 
erected  by  Mrs.  Starkweather  in  the  Ypsilanti  cemetery,  there  is 
a  handsome  window  to  his  memory. 

Mr.  Pierce's  incumbency  of  office  lasted  till  the  middle  of 
1841,  almost  five  years,  and  in  this  time  he  launched  the  school 
system  of  the  state.  He  was  an  indefatigable  worker.  In  order 
that  the  common  schools  should  be  put  on  a  secure  basis  in  the 
allotment  of  public  money,  he  advocated  that  the  control  of  the 
sixteenth  sections  be  taken  away  from  the  townships  and  given 
over  to  the  State.  But  this  was  a  matter  in  the  hands  of  Con- 
gress, and  Congress  was  notoriously  hostile  to  the  ambitions  of 
the  new  State.  However,  in  Michigan's  representative,  General 
Crary,  the  commonwealth  had  an  adroit  defender.  When  the 
ordinance  for  the  admission  of  the  territory  was  drafted  at  Wash- 
ington, Mr.  Crary  acted  with  the  committee,  and  cleverly  man- 
aged to  have  the  act  worded  so  that  the  desired  change  might  be 
made.  The  result  fully  showed  the  wisdom  of  Mr.  Pierce's 
belief.  "It  infused  new  vigor  into  our  new-born  system,"  was 
his  comment,  and  the  organization  of  district  schools,  with  the 
help  of  apportioned  state  funds,  became  a  matter  of  pride  in 
every  settled  part  of  the  state.  l 

The  question  of  the  reorganization  of  the  University  was  like- 
wise a  task  that  called  for  all  his  skill.  Whether  to  center  the 
energies  of  the  state  upon  one  university,  or  to  grant  to  an 
indefinite  number  of  institutions  the  right  to  bestow  degrees,  was 

1  See  Michigan  Historical  and  Pioneer  Collections.    Vol.  I,  p.  40,  et.  sq. 


SUPERINTENDENT   OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION  85 

the  problem.  In  order  to  prepare  for  the  contest  that  was  sure  to 
come,  he  addressed  a  circular  letter  in  the  summer  of  1837  to  a 
number  of  prominent  men  over  the  country.  The  replies  were 
unanimously  in  favor  of  one  central  university.  This  was 
Bishop  Mcllvaine's  response: 
"Dear  Sir: 

Long  absence  from  home  has  prevented  my  answering 
your  letter  sooner  than  the  present.  It  requires  but  little  time  to 
make  up  an  opinion  on  the  question  you  propose.  I  consider  the 
present  multiplication  of  institutions  called  colleges,  and 
empowered  to  confer  degrees,  exceedingly  detrimental  to  the 
interests  of  genuine  education.  They  so  divide  patronage  as  to 
create  competition,  which  instead  of  leading  to  the  result  which 
some  suppose  must  be  the  consequence,— of  elevating  the  stand- 
ing of  the  several  institutions — produce  precisely  the  opposite. 
An  uneducated  community  is  to  be  courted  and  pleased,  a  com- 
munity easily  taken  with  name  and  promises,  and  lists  of  students, 
new  methods,  short  roads  and  cheap  acquirements. 

"Who  shall  please  said  community  the  most,  becomes  the 
strife.  The  strong  temptation  then  is  to  lower  the  terms  of 
admission,  retain  the  names,  but  lower  the  amount  of  studies, 
relax  the  discipline,  confer  degrees  on  persons  not  fit  to  be  soph- 
omores, and  so  make  the  honor  of  a  graduate  a  miserable  weed 
instead  of  a  classic  laurel. 

"Theprima  laurea  liberates  educationis  has  greatly  withered 
in  these  parts.  Where  such  multiplications  have  taken  place  it 
is  difficult  for  an  institution  that  wishes  to  maintain  a  dignified 
stand  to  compete  in  patronage  with  others  of  less  conscience  in 
such  matters. 

"I  consider  that  with  the  property  devoted  to  education  in 
Michigan,  you  have  a  most  noble  opportunity  of  taking  and 
holding  dignified  ground  on  this  subject,  of  building  a  break- 
water against  the  winds  and  waves  by  which  other  less  independ- 
ent institutions  are  in  danger  of  being  overwhelmed,  behind 
which  the  sciences  and  classics  may  anchor  in  peace,  and  have 
otium  cum  dignitate,  I  would  say,  by  all  means  improve  it  by 
having  but  one  place  of  conferring  degrees  in  Michigan,  and  that 


86  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

a  university  perfectly  endowed  and  furnished.  Other  States  will 
supply  the  little  colleges.  Be  it  yours  to  set  the  example  of  a 
genuine  university,  a  mother  of  learning,  rejecting,  not  follow- 
ing the  opinions  of  the  inexperienced  on  the  subjects  of  education. 

Yours  very  truly, 

C.  P.  McIi/VAiNE." 

Mr.  Pierce  left  no  stone  unturned  to  carry  his  point.  He 
wrote  in  defense  of  the  plan,  he  lobbied  for  it,  he  spoke  for  it. 
In  1838,  while  the  matter  was  still  in  doubt  he  appealed  to  the 
Legislature  in  a  report  which  closed  as  follows:  — 

"Deeming  the  question  above  discussed  to  be  one  of  vital 
importance,  the  Superintendent  has  felt  constrained,  in  the  out- 
set of  that  career  of  improvement  on  which  the  State  seems  dis- 
posed to  enter,  to  present  to  the  consideration  of  the  Legislature 
his  views  in  an  extended  form  on  the  subject." 

"It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  policy  now  adopted  is 
destined  to  affect  the  literary  standing  and  character  of  the  State, 
not  only  for  the  time  of  the  present  generation,  but  so  long  as 
the  republic  and  its  institutions  shall  be  preserved;  nay,  more, — 
so  long  as  its  name  and  the  memorial  of  its  deeds  shall  be  read 
in  story  or  in  song." 

Time  has  proved  the  wisdom  of  John  D.  Pierce 's  efforts  here, 
and  likewise  in  another  matter  which  has  almost  escaped  the 
attention  of  our  historians.  No  sooner  had  Michigan  become  a 
State  than  a  feeling  of  inflation  seized  the  minds  of  our  law 
makers — they  were  ready  to  countenance  any  project  from  a 
trans-state  canal  to  wild-cat  banking,  and  so  it  was  not  difficult 
to  get  a  law  passed  authorizing  the  regents  to  procure  plans  for  a 
great  university  building,— plans  which  should  become  binding 
upon  the  state  when  approved  by  the  governor  and  the  superin- 
tendent of  public  instruction.  As  finally  presented  by  the  arch- 
itect the  specifications  called  for  the  expenditure  of  half  a  million 
dollars.  Mr.  Pierce  would  not  approve  them,  urging  as  his 
reason  that  it  was  not  good  sense  to  pay  so  much  for  a  building 
that  the  academic  work  would  be  crippled.  A  university  consisted 
not  alone  in  buildings,  but  also  in  skilled  teachers,  libraries,  and 
appliances. 


S    1 


8S  OT'^UiW  «i   1ST 
7V,  «|/  «rA» 


MR.       PIERCE'S      COMMISSION      AS       SUPERINTENDENT 
OF      PUBLIC       INSTRUCTION 


SUPERINTENDENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION  87 

The  stand  taken  by  Mr.  Pierce  called  down  upon  him  a  storm 
of  denunciation,  but  he  was  unmoved,  and  his  firm  attitude 
defeated  the  scheme.  After  the  lapse  of  almost  seventy  years, 
we  now  see  how  much  wiser  he  was  than  his  contemporaries. 

In  connection  with  what  he  did  for  education  at  this  time, 
one  must  not  forget  to  mention  his  founding  of  The  Journal  of 
Education.  The  publication  lasted  only  two  years,  1838-1840, 
but  in  that  time  it  circulated  generally  throughout  the  state  in 
the  interests  of  education,  and  was  an  able  advocate  of  our  com- 
mon and  higher  school  systems. J  A  more  detailed  account  of  the 
Journal  appears  in  Chapter  XIII. 


Pierce— History  of  Calhoun  County,  Philadelphia,  1887,  p.  32. 


MR.  PIERCE'S  EDUCATIONAL  DOCTRINE 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   INDIVIDUAL  AND   THE  STATE 

A  man's  philosophy  will  determine  the  character  of  his  educa- 
tional doctrine.  The  world  may  value  him  from  the  standpoint 
of  his  ability  to  organize  and  direct  its  affairs,  but  beneath  the 
surface  there  are  certain  great  principles  which  may  never 
have  been  formulated  into  a  regular  system.  Such  a  man 
would  be  regarded  as  a  "doer  of  deeds,"  and  his  worth  would  be 
estimated  accordingly.  If  the  results  of  his  labors  be  subjected 
to  a  close  analysis,  and  each  step  be  interpreted  in  terms  of  his 
public  life  and  utterances,  the  whole  may  be  again  formulated 
into  a  definite  theory  of  education. 

Education,  as  an  abstract  term,  stands  for  that  maturing  pro- 
cess by  which  the  individual  child  adjusts  himself  to  the  spiritual 
environment,  which  is  the  achievement  of  the  race.  Society 
creates  an  aim  or  ideal,  and  establishes  schools  for  the  realization 
of  it.  Its  agents  derise  ways  and  means  by  which  the  will  of  the 
social  whole  becomes  a  reality.  In  this  way,  a  school  system 
originates.  The  educator  or  the  philosopher  may  be  called  a 
leader,  but  in  reality  he  is  directed  by  the  society,  of  which  he  is  a 
member. 

It  is  hoped  that  an  application  of  these  simple  principles  will 
assist  us  in  the  task  of  formulating  the  educational  theory  and 
doctrine  of  John  D.  Pierce.  The  sources  employed  are:  First, 
the  results  of  his  labors  as  embodied  in  our  magnificent  school 
system,  organized  under  his  master  hand,  and  next  his  public 
utterances  as  recorded  in  his  annual  reports,  printed  addresses, 
and  numerous  unpublished  manuscripts. 

We  have  seen  something  of  the  man  himself  and  the  circum- 
stances under  which  he  was  developed;  we  have  examined  the 
great  body  of  ideas  which  influenced  him,  and  we  shall  now 


INDIVIDUAL  AND  THE  STATIC  89 

make  the  attempt  to  assemble  his  thoughts  in  a  systematic  way, 
and  to  formulate  them  into  a  related  system  and  theory. 

Education  is,  primarily,  for  the  individual  himself,  and, 
incidentally,  for  the  perpetuation  and  glory  of  the  state.  Each 
is  mutually  dependent  upon  the  other.  The  individual,  there- 
fore, has  a  two-fold  function  and  performs  a  double  duty — a  duty 
to  himself  and  a  duty  to  others,  through  society. 

As  we  look  upon  the  beauties  of  nature  and  sec  the  manifesta- 
tions of  the  wisdom  of  a  wise  Creator,  everything  is  hopeful. 
"Whatever  may  have  been  the  forbidding  aspect  of  the  past,  and 
whatever  may  be  the  indications  of  the  future,  a  noble  destiny 
awaits  the  race.  The  earth  is  to  be  a  delightsome  land — a  garden 
of  paradise,  filled  with  a  ransomed,  joyous  people."  Man's  high 
destiny  is  certain,  and  the  future  is  perfect.  Man  is,  therefore, 
placed  in  a  beautiful  environment.  His  universe  is  under  a  per- 
fect and  pre-established  law,  and  everything  moves  with  certainty 
and  in  perfect  harmony.  Stability,  beauty  and  order  characterize 
everything.  Man  has  every  faculty  of  soul,  every  susceptibility 
of  mind,  and  every  taste  combined  in  his  noble  existence.  All  is 
nicely  and  delicately  adjusted  and  adapted  to  the  full  enjoyment 
of  the  same  endless  round  of  harmonious  grandeur  and  existence, 
and  thus  he  stood  forth  in  his  original  condition,  fully  matured, 
and  the  noblest  product  of  the  Creator's  workmanship.  But 
through  sin  he  became  incapable  of  the  fullest  enjoyment  of 
Nature  and  Nature's  God,  and,  though  he  lived  with  his  fellow 
man  in  society,  and  seemingly  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  all 
creation,  this  cannot  be  truly  real  until  he,  in  the  exercise  of  his 
free  will,  accepts  the  ransom  and  follows  the  example  of  the  Per- 
fect man; — "A  man  more  noble  and  exalted  shall  reign  in  right- 
eousness. Behold  the  man,  the  perfection  of  beauty, — he  shall 
repair  the  ruin,  and  in  him  all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."  Mr.  Pierce  then  proceeds  to  show  that  originally  the 
Church  was  the  institution  ordained  for  the  purpose  of  leading 
man  into  the  perfect  life,  but,  with  the  development  of  the  state 
through  the  home,  the  creation  of  the  school  became  one  of  the 
great  institutions,  to  be  used  by  the  state  to  bring  man  back  into 
harmony  with  the  universe,  and,  by  so  doing,  consummate  a 


90  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

double  purpose — the  perfection  of  the  individual  character,  and 
through  it,  make  secure  the  perpetuation  of  the  state.  The 
state,  in  caring  for  the  individual,  makes  itself  secure;  the  indi- 
vidual, in  accepting  this  bounty,  is  insured  freedom  and  hap- 
piness. This  will  afford  a  solution  of  the  great  world  question — 
of  the  relation  of  the  man  to  the  institution — and,  at  the  same 
time,  recognize  the  equal  importance  of  Church  and  State.  The 
one,  cultivating  the  feelings;  and  the  other,  exercising  the 
powers  of  reason.  Therefore,  he  says;  "Let  the  school  house 
and  the  church  be  planted,  as  they  ever  have  been,  in  every  vil- 
lage and  hamlet  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  our  land, 
and  no  tyrant  can  ever  arise  that  shall  be  strong  enough  to 
trample  upon  and  tread  down  the  rights  of  the  people." 

This  was  the  philosophy  of  education  which  actuated  Mr. 
Pierce  in  the  organization  of  the  Michigan  System.  It  will  be 
necessary,  however,  to  examine  his  conception  of  the  state  and 
the  individual,  and  their  mutual  relationship,  in  greater  detail, 
before  we  can  form  an  adequate  idea  of  his  meaning  of  education, 
or  understand  the  reasons  for  the  means  adopted  in  the  realiza- 
tion of  its  aim. 

Nowhere  in  his  writings  does  he  clearly  define  the  state.  It 
is  left  to  the  reader  to  infer  his  meaning  from  what  he  says 
regarding  the  individual,  and  his  rights  and  duties.  He  speaks 
of  the  obligations  and  prerogatives  of  the  state,  and  the  relations 
which  exist  between  the  individual  and  it.  While  the  state 
appears  supreme,  it  is  always  the  citizen  that  makes  it  what  it  is. 
Our  form  of  government  assumes  to  be  founded  on  those  prin- 
ciples. Knowledge  is  an  element  essential  to  its  existence  and 
vigorous  action;  perpetuation  of  the  government,  and  the  sov- 
ereignty of  the  state  depend  upon  the  intelligence  of  the  citizen, 
and  education  secures  the  state  against  the  encroachment  of 
power,  removes  superstition  and  ignorance,  and  makes  the  man 
free;  therefore,  education  is  an  affair  of  the  state. 

The.distinction  between  noble  and  ignoble  birth  is  a  fiction  of 
the  imagination,  because  all  men  have  one  common  Creator  and 
are  born  free  and  equal.  "The  blood  of  the  hard-handed  laborer 
is  just  as  royal  as  that  of  the  king  on  the  throne."  Men  are 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AND  THE  STATE  91 

equal  and  free  under  the  law,  but  they  can  only  maintain  this 
through  the  acquisition  of  knowledge.  As  the  rich  treasures  of 
learning  are  not  gained  by  ^inheritance,  and  as  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  innate,  inbred,  hereditary  knowledge,  freedom  and 
equality  depend  upon  education;  and,  as  the  care  of  the  whole 
depends  upon  the  care  for  the  individual,  the  glory  and  perpetua- 
tion of  the  state  depends  upon  qualifying  the  individual  to  think 
for  himself,  to  reason  and  judge  correctly,  and  to  pursue  a  just 
line  of  policy  and  conduct  in  all  things  pertaining  to  his  own 
interests  and  public  welfare. 

The  individual,  Mr.  Pierce  shows,  has  certain  rights  as  an 
individual  and  certain  others  which  he  may  claim  as  a  citizen. 
These  rights  are  either  natural  or  acquired.  The  possession  of 
rights  involves  the  discharge  of  duty.  These  rights  and  duties 
are  carried  forward  into  the  state  because,  as  the  state  is  com- 
posed of  individuals,  the  individvals  composing  it  must  transfer 
certain  of  their  natural  rights  to  the  state,  and  are,  therefore, 
under  obligation  to  perform  certain  duties  imposed  upon  them  by 
the  majority.  The  state,  on  the  contrary,  having  been  created  by 
man,  and,  having  accepted  or  assumed  these  obligations,  likewise 
acquires  rights  and  duties  which  the  individual  is  bound  to 
respect,  and  which  the  state  is  equally  as  bound  to  observe. 

It  is  on  this  philosophy  that  Mr.  Pierce  bases  his  argument 
for  free  and  universal  education,  The  line  of  reasoning  was  not 
original  with  him.  It  has  been  employed  by  others,  but  it  is  of 
interest  to  us  because  he  put  the  theory  into  practice.  His  con- 
tention is  for  the  stability  of  the  government  and  the  perpetuation 
of  the  state.  This  stability  depends  upon  the  intelligence  of  the 
citizen,  who  has  been  made  such  by  the  state,  while  intelligent 
citizenship  insures  the  greatest  personal  freedom. 

How  the  people  are  to  know  and  to  preserve  to  themselves  the 
sacred  rights  which  belong  to  the  nature  of  man  as  a  rational 
and  responsible  agent,  is  a  question  of  thrilling  interest.  These 
rights  are  individual,  social,  civil,  political,  and  religious.  Man's 
greatest  right  is  the  right  to  think  for  himself ;  but  in  order  to  be 
qualified  to  do  this  for  the  best  good  of  himself  and  others,  he 
must  be  made  intelligent.  He  says:  "Under  a  free  government 


92  JOHN  D. 

like  ours,  the  all  important  object  to  be  gained  is  to  qualify  each 
individual  to  think  for  himself,  to  reason  and  judge  correctly, 
and  to  pursue  a  just  line  of  policy  and  conduct  in  all  things  per- 
taining to  his  own  interest*  and  public  welfare."  Education, 
therefore,  is  the  only  safeguard  of  public  and  private  rights,  and 
the  future  permanence  and  character  of  our  institutions  depend 
upon  the  degree  of  education  in  our  citizen.  The  man  can  only 
become  the  citizen  through  education.  "He  may  be  born  to  vast 
estates,  to  untold  riches  and  honor,  and  come  into  possession  of 
titles,  coronets,  scepters,  diadems  and  crowns,  but  no  man  was 
ever  born  a  statesman,  or  a  poet,  or  a  philosopher,  mechanic,  or 

teacher all  was  acquired  by  education, 

by  the  culture  of  the  original  faculties  and  susceptibilities  of 
human  nature,  and  by  close  applicaticn  to  study." 

Mr.  Pierce  saw  a  danger  which  threatened  the  state,  and 
which  he  hoped  to  avert  by  universal  education.  He  saw  clearly 
the  danger  that  would  result  from  the  concentration  of  wealth  and 
power  in  the  hands  of  the  privileged  few,  and  he  saw  equally  as 
clear  that  the  only  remedy  would  be  universal  and  free  education. 
"All  classes  must  be  thoroughly  educated  in  the  principles  of  true 
wisdom  and  virtue,  and  be  made  fully  acquainted  with  the  great 
doctrines  of  individual,  civil,  and  political  rights." 

The  various  activities  of  life  spring  out  of  the  many  and 
varied  relations  which  the  individual  maintains  under  the  differ- 
ent institutions  of  civilization,— in  the  home,  the  state,  or  the 
church.  He  must  learn  and  practice  these  duties,  that  he  may 
enjoy  his  rights.  There  are  duties  which  men  owe  to  each  other 
as  rational  and  moral  beings ;  duties  which  they  owe  to  the  state 
that  sustains  them,  and  duties  which  they  owe  to  the  government 
of  the  state  that  protects  them.  These  duties  grow  out  of  the  rela- 
tions which  they  bear  to  each  other,  to  the  state  and  to  its  gov- 
ernment, and  the  child  can  only  become  the  man,  fitted  to  assume 
and  perform  these  functions,  by  education.  He  must  live  and 
mature  in  and  by  the  institutions  which  he  hopes  to  serve,  protect 
and  perpetuate,  and  which  are  bound  to  bestow  upon  him  his  just 
and  equal  rights .  Therefore ,  the  state  must  educate  for  the  sake  of 
the  individual. 


INDIVIDUAL   AND  *HB  STATE  $3 


The  state,  according  to  his  views,  is  much  more  than  an  aggre- 
gate of  individuals.  He  recognizes  it  as  a  spiritual  creation,  with 
supreme  rights  and  duties.  It  must  be  protected,  and  is  under 
obligation  to  protect;  therefore,  the  state  has  the  right  to  demand 
obedience  to  certain  of  its  prerogatives.  The  most  important  of 
these,  and  the  one  which  Mr.  Pierce  most  often  emphasized,  is 
education.  The  object  to  be  attained  is  the  welfare  of  the  indi- 
vidual and  the  security  of  the  state.  To  secure  this  object  the 
individual  must  be  educated,  and  hence  the  state  has  the  right  to 
require  it  of  all  children  and  youth,  and  to  impose  upon  all,  to 
whom  their  management  and  care  is  committed,  the  duty  of  edu- 
cating them,  and,  if  they  cannot  do  it  themselves,  to  send  them 
to  the  public  schools.  "This,"  he  says,  "is  the  very  letter  and 
spirit  of  the  Prussian  law,"  and  it  was  the  essence  of  the  argu- 
ment employed  by  him  when  he  recommended  and  urged  the 
school  system  which  was  adopted. 

In  thus  stating  a  need  for  education,  he  laid  the  foundation 
for  a  wise  system.  The  individual  stands  ahead  of  the  state, 
because  the  safety  and  security  of  the  government  depends  upon 
the  intelligence  of  the  citizen.  Mr.  Pierce  was  exceedingly 
optimistic  in  all  things.  He  saw,  with  a  clear  vision,  the  great 
possibilities  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  when  her  resources  should 
be  fully  developed.  He  saw  that  the  labor  expended  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil,  in  the  general  improvement  of  the  country,  in  the 
formation  of  her  institutions,  and  the  support  of  government 
would  produce  great  results,  and  that,  to  maintain  this  supremacy 
and  advance  to  new  vantage  ground,  educated  men  were  neces- 
sary. "We  cannot  do  without  them;  without  them  we  cannot 
advance  or  even  hold  our  present  position."  Yet  he  was  appre- 
hensive of  danger,  and  saw  a  possible  failure  in  the  experiment 
of  government.  The  people  were  not  yet  far  enough  removed 
from  the  great  struggle  for  liberty  to  feel  secure  in  it, 
and  it  was  his  desire  to  build  on  a  foundation  so  solid  that  dis- 
aster could  not  overtake  them.  In  the  American  colonies,  the 
transfer  of  sovereignty  from  crown  to  people  was  a  successful 
experiment  because  of  the  general  diffusion  of  knowledge; 


94  JOHN   D. 

therefore,  he  again  and  again  expresses  the  thought  that  univer- 
sal education  is  necessary  to  perpetuate  the  institution. 

In  his  first  annual  Report,  after  showing  that  instruction 
should  be  co- extensive  with  universal  suffrage,  and  that  an 
unenlightened  mind  is  never  recognized  by  the  genius  of  a  repub- 
lican government,  and  that  the  will  of  the  many  is  the  supreme 
law  of  the  land  and  is  generally  obeyed,  he  reposes  perfect  con- 
fidence in  an  enlightened  public  opinion,  and  believes  that  it  is 
sufficient  to  cure  all  evils  and  avert  every  danger.  The  question 
is  then  raised :  Can  any  plan  be  devised  by  which  the  principles 
of  virtue  and  knowledge  can  be  so  diffused  among  the  great 
body  of  the  people  as  the  existence  and  perpetuity  of  our  insti- 
tutions seem  to  require?  This  question  can  be  answered  in  one 
way  only,  viz.,  by  a  carefully  planned  system  of  free  schools 
which  ought,  therefore,  to  be  the  property  and  care  of  the 
State. 

In  his  third  report,  in  speaking  of  this  subject,  he  says: 
"Our  safety  is  not  in  constitutions  and  forms  of  government,  for 
no  constitution  within  the  power  of  man  to  devise  can  provide 
such  security,  but  in  the  establishment  of  a  right  system  of  gen- 
eral education,  is  the  development  and  culture  of  these  moral, 
and  intellectual  powers  implanted  in  the  nature  of  man. 
Would  Michigan  attain  a  high  rank  and  an  honorable  distinction 
in  this  matchless  confederacy  of  states,  let  perseverance  be  written 
upon  the  walls  of  her  capitol,  and  let  this  be  the  watchword  of  the 
people,  till  every  child  in  the  state  shall  be  thoroughly  educated 
and  fitted  to  fulfill  his  duty  faithfully  to  his  country  and  his  God." 

Having  completed  his  work  of  organization,  he  still  urges,  in 
his  fifth  report,  the  necessity  of  education  in  the  following 
words:  "We  must  multiply  our  school  houses,  educate  teachers, 
furnish  books,  procure  libraries,  and  provide,  indeed,  all  the 
necessary  means  of  instruction  for  the  whole  population,  or 
increase  greatly  the  number  of  our  jails,  penitentaries  and  stand- 
ing armies."  "We  must  educate,  or  forge  bars,  bolts  and 
chains." 

Mr.  Pierce's  theory  of  the  relation  of  the  individual  and  the 
state  is  fundamental,  and,  as  will  be  seen,  affords  the  surest  basis 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AND  THE   STATE  95 

for  a  free  and  universal  educational  system.  The  importance  of 
the  man  and  citizens,  and  the  sacredness  of  his  individuality,  are 
ever  to  be  regarded.  The  state,  however,  is  supreme,  but  depends 
for  its  safety  on  the  character  of  the  elements  composing  it.  The 
child  is  bom  into  the  state  and  must  grow  up  under  its  fostering 
care.  For  the  first  years  of  its  life,  the  home,  protected  by  the 
state,  must  undertake  its  education ;  later,  the  school,  which  is 
created  by  the  state  for  a  specific  purpose,  undertakes  what  the 
home  cannot  do.  As  the  state  depends  upon  the  school  for  its 
prosperity,  so  the  school  depends  upon  the  home  for  the  proper 
discharge  of  its  function ;  hence  the  duty  of  parents  and  heads  of 
families  to  use  their  authority  in  restraining  their  children  and  to 
instruct  them  in  everything  which  relates  to  their  duty  to  their 
God,  their  fellow  man,  and  to  themselves. 

Education  is  necessary  in  order  to  bring  man  into  a  perfect 
harmony  with  his  surroundings  and  the  great  universe,  so  that 
he  may  be  of  the  greatest  service  to  the  government.  Every 
human  being  has  a  right  to  a  good  education.  The  state  is 
under  obligation  to  furnish  it,  and  property  is  liable  for  it;  and, 
as  a  failure  to  do  this  imperils  the  state,  its  duty  it  is  to  see  that 
every  child  within  its  boundaries  is  properly  educated. 

Such  are  the  principles  that  were  in  the  mind  of  the  founder 
of  Michigan's  school  system  when  he  adapted  the  old  to  the  new. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   MEANING   AND   AIM   OF   EDUCATION 

Superintendent  Pierce's  views  upon  the  meaning  and  aim  of 
education  were  broad  and  comprehensive.  He  did  not  write 
upon  the  subject  of  education  in  a  scientific  way,  or  for  the  sake 
of  the  subject  itself,  but  he  gave  expression  to  his  views  in  order 
that  he  might  convince  men  of  its  meaning  and  value  and  thus 
induce  them  to  adopt  new  ways  and  means  adapted  to  the 
organization  of  a  new  system  of  education.  He  might  not  have 
been  conscious  that  his  was  a  system,  as  such,  and  it  may  not 
be  even  so  regarded  by  educators,  yet,  by  gathering  up  and 
articulating  all  the  elements,  one  discovers  certain  great  princi- 
ples which  guided  him  in  his  work  and  which  have  served  to 
direct  his  followers  ever  since. 

We  have  seen  how  by  virtue  of  his  theory  of  the  state  and 
the  mutual  relations  between  it  and  the  individual,  free  and 
universal  education  was  necessary.  It  is  now  pertinent  to 
inquire  what  he  meant  by  the  term  education  and  what  was 
included  in  its  aim  and  design.  He  firmly  believed  that  in 
order  to  preserve  the  principle  of  civil  and  religious  liberty, 
perpetuate  free  institutions,  transmit  to  posterity  a  government 
based  upon  the  rights  of  man  and,  finally,  to  rear  a  great  citizen, 
the  permanent  foundations  of  knowledge  and  virtue  must  be  made 
broad  and  deep.  Therefore,  "the  design  of  education  is  to 
invigorate  the  constitution,  polish  the  outward  man,  refine  the 
taste,  improve  the  moral  faculties,  strengthen  the  intellect,  store 
the  understanding,  and  develop  all  the  powers  of  the  mind.  The 
end  to  be  gained  is  to  fit  human  beings  for  usefulness,  to  make 
them  happy  in  themselves,  while  they  are  a  blessing  to  their 
fellows,  and  to  conduct  them  on  through  all  the  vivid  scenes  of 
time  to  a  glorious  termination  of  this  earthly  career,  to  a  higher, 
purer  and  better  life." 

96 


THE   MEANING  AND   AIM   OF  EDUCATION  97 

The  aim  of  education  may  rest  on  an  ethical  basis  and  may 
mean  much  or  little;  but  when,  as  above,  it  is  given  an  ethical, 
social  and  religious  foundation,  it  must  comprehend  all  of  man's 
acts  and  include  all  of  his  relationships.  A  knowledge  of  all 
these  relationships  gives  a  meaning  to  education.  Education,  he 
says,  is  not  for  the  sake  of  a  man  as  an  individual  alone,  but  that 
he  may  become  an  efficient  and  valuable  member  of  society ; 
therefore,  there  must  be  included  in  the  ethical  idea  that  of  the 
social  aspect  of  man.  It  is  curious  and  interesting  to  notice  that 
much  that  is  now  said  regarding  the  social  aspects  of  education 
were  fully  anticipated  by  "Father"  Pierce. 

He  shows  that  education  is  the  development  of  a  human 
being,  the  maturing  of  a  child  into  a  man  and  a  citizen.  Such 
being  the  case,  two  presuppositions  are  necessary,  a  being, 
endowed  with  a  free  will  capable  of  being  developed,  and  the 
means  or  the  agencies  that  he  himself  may  use  to  effect  this 
matured  condition.  It  is  education  and  study,  and  long-continued 
perseverance  and  application,  and  not  wealth  or  power  or  birth 
that  makes  the  man.  Education,  according  to  Mr.  Pierce,  means 
self  effort.  This  is  good  old  fashioned  doctrine  and  means 
something  more  than  mere  development  on  the  part  of  a 
teacher,  or  the  awakening  of  an  interest  that  is  for  the  passing 
hour.  How  well  the  application  of  this  theory  to  the  schools  of 
Michigan  has  succeeded  in  the  last  fifty  years,  is  shown  in  the 
lives  of  the  men  that  have  been  produced  in  these  schools. 

"By  means  of  the  public  schools,  the  poor  boy  of  today, 
without  the  protection  of  father  or  mother,  may  be  the  man  of 
learning  and  influence  tomorrow;  and  he  may  accumulate  and 
die  the  possessor  of  tens  of  thousands;  he  may  even  reach  the 
highest  station  in  the  republic,  and  the  treasures  of  his  mind 
may  be  the  richest  legacy  of  the  present  to  the  coming  genera- 
tions." 

These  words,  written  seventy-five  years  ago  when  our  State 
was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  and  schools  were  unorganized, 
speak  the  ideal  of  the  writer,  who  saw  clearly  the  untold  possi- 
bilities that  would  be  afforded  by  an  education  which  would 
unfold  the  hidden  mysteries  of  creation,  and  enable  him  to  arrive 


98  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

at  the  highest  degree  of  physical,  intellectual  and  moral  attain- 
ment. This  would  make  him  an  efficient  human  being,  a  true 
man  and  a  citizen.  He  would  possess  then  not  mere  intelli- 
gence, but  the  actual  knowledge  which  is  required  in 
every  department  of  government,  legislation,  and  jurisprudence, 
and  in  the  daily  execution  of  laws,  in  business  transactions, 
manufacturing,  commerce,  agriculture,  internal  improvements, 
architecture,  gardening,  finance,  law,  medicine,  theology  and 
teaching.  This  is  his  great  aim  in  education,  and  it  always  implies 
manly  independence  in  thinking.  Mr.  Pierce  calls  this  true 
moral  courage.  It  is  in  this  way  that  man  makes  himself  pro- 
ficient and  by  so  doing  becomes  efficient  in  society ;  therefore, 
the  more  important  design  of  education  is  to  fit  human  beings 
to  move  in  all  the  varied  circumstances  of  life,  with  honor  to 
themselves,  and  to  be  a  blessing  and  not  a  curse  to  their  fellow- 
men.  "The  object  of  education  is  to  raise  up,  not  to  pull  down; 
to  improve  the  condition  of  man,  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
whole  people,  while  increasing  the  individual  happiness  and 
prosperity  of  every  member  of  the  commonwealth,  and,  if  edu- 
cation will  thus  result  in  the  perfection  of  government,  it  will  also 
lead  to  the  like  perfection  in  science,  in  the  arts  and  in  every 
kind  of  improvement." 

Having  now  seen  what  led  Mr.  Pierce  to  the  formulation  of 
an  educational  aim,  let  us  examine  into  the  meaning  which  he 
attaches  to  the  term  education. 

Education  is  the  entrance  of  a  human  being  into  an  inheri- 
tance, and  the  accepting  and  using  of  his  inheritance  to  fit  him 
to  transmit  it  to  succeeding  generations,  not  only  unimpaired, 
but  improved.  He  did  not  see,  in  the  inheritance  transmitted 
that  of  the  whole  race,  but  he  did  see  that  which  had  been 
derived  from  a  high-minded,  intelligent,  educated,  moral  and 
religious  ancestry.  These  men  had  lived  and  had  formed  institu- 
tions under  trying  circumstances.  They  lived  as  the  whole 
world  had  lived,  and  gave  to  their  children  free  institutions, 
equal  laws,  personal,  civil  and  religious  liberty,  and  the  choicest 
form  of  government  on  earth.  It  is  necessary,  therefore,  if  the 
succeeding  generations  are  to  improve  and  perpetuate  the  same, 


THE  MEANING  AND  AIM   OF  EDUCATION  99 

that  they  be  brought  into  possession  of  this  world  experience  by 
becoming  a  part  of  it.  By  means  of  education,  therefore,  human- 
ity, in  coming  into  its  inheritance,  gains  power  and  efficiency 
and  the  state  as  an  institution  is  saved  from  disaster  and  ruin. 

More  recent  writers  upon  education  have  spoken  of  man's 
inheritance  and  its  relation  to  his  education  in  a  more  concrete 
way,  perhaps,  but  nowhere  do  we  find  one  who  has  incorporated 
the  idea  into  a  philosophy,  or  made  it  the  basis  of  his  educational 
theory  in  a  more  practical  way  than  did  Mr.  Pierce. 

Education  is  a  developing,  maturing  process.  Man  with  an 
inherited  organism  is  born  into  a  natural  and  social  environment ; 
he  is  developed  in  and  by  this  environment  upon  which  he  reacts. 
In  one  place  he  says:  "To  educate  is  to  draw  out,  unfold, 
develop,  enlarge,  and  strengthen  all  the  powers,  faculties  and 
susceptibilities  of  human  nature.  Education  is  the  great  busi- 
ness of  human  existence."  This  leaves  us  in  doubt  as  to  the 
way  in  which  the  process  of  development  will  be  originated,  or 
carried  forward.  Is  to  be  from  within  or  from  without?  Is  a 
child  to  be  educated  by  giving  him  a  knowledge  of  the  world  and 
of  things,  or  does  he  become  developed  through  his  own  self 
exertion?  In  answering  these  questions,  he  says,  first,  that  to 
be  successful  in  teaching,  the  laws  by  which  the  mind  is  governed 
in  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  must  be  known,  and  because  in 
infancy  the  body  and  mind  are  plastic,  it  is  the  design  of  educa- 
tion to  take  this  feeble  and  helpless  being,  strengthen  all  his 
powers,  and  nurture  him  into  vigorous  manhood.  This  is  to  be 
done  by  the  communication  and  reception  of  knowledge.  When 
he  speaks  of  the  "design  of  education,"  the  term  education  is 
spoken  of  as  a  concrete  rather  than  an  abstract  term,  and  he 
doubtless  has  in  mind  the  organized  agencies  of  education — the 
home  and  the  school.  The  teacher  communicates  knowledge  and 
the  child  receives  it,  and  by  so  doing  develops  or  matures.  The 
character  of  this  development  and  the  results,  as  they  are  shown 
or  expressed  in  life,  will  largely  depend  upon  the  kind  of  knowl- 
edge communicated,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is  brought  to 
the  child. 

Education  is,  therefore,  a  subject  of  immense  magnitude  and 


100  JOHN  D.   PIERCK 

comprises  more  than  is  generally  supposed.  All  that  a  civilized 
man  is  when  he  grows  to  maturity,  more  than  he  is  at  birth  is 
the  result  of  education  in  the  widest  sense  of  the  term.  As 
progress  is  the  great  law  of  human  existence,  and,  as  education 
commences  with  the  first  dawn  of  being  and  is  not  complete 
until  there  is  nothing  more  for  man  to  learn,  the  most  important 
meaning  to  attach  to  the  term  education  is  that  it  is  a  process  of 
adjustment  through  development. 

A  child  is  educated  by  acquiring  knowledge.  This  may  mean 
that  in  the  acquiring  of  knowledge  he  becomes  educated,  or  that 
the  acquiring  of  knowledge  is  the  end  sought.  More  than  once 
does  Mr.  Pierce  tell  ui  of  hit  belief  in  the  harmony  and  unity  of 
the  universe  and  of  the  reign  of  a  universal  law;  and  so,  when 
he  speaks  of  all  the  principles  of  knowledge  as  parts  of 
one  great  and  glorious  whole,  we  are  reminded  of  the  modern 
conception  of  "education  as  world  building,"  and  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  his  thought  that  knowledge  itself  is  not 
the  end  of  education.  He  speaks  of  the  boundaries  of  human 
knowledge  and  the  limits  beyond  which  it  is  useless  for  man  in 
his  present  state  to  attempt  to  go.  And  when  he  tells  us  that 
"when  all  is  known  of  matter  in  all  its  forms,  modifications, 
motions,  powers,  laws,  relations,  and  dependencies  that  can  be 
learned;  when  the  universe  of  mind  is  fully  surveyed  and  all  is 
known  of  its  mighty  energies,  susceptibilities,  high  emotions, 
connections,  duties  and  destinies  that  can  be  learned,— then  a 
man's  education  is  finished,"  we  can  draw  but  one  inference 
regarding  the  value  of  knowledge, — that  "the  great  object  gained 
is  a  well  balanced  mind."  That  man  is  the  best  educated  who 
has  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  things  and  who  has 
become  acquainted  with  their  most  intimate  and  important  rela- 
tions, if  his  physical,  intellectual,  and  moral  faculties  are 
developed  in  just  and  equal  proportions. 

The  foregoing  is  sufficient  to  show  that  Mr.  Pierce  entertained 
definite  views  upon  the  value  of  religious  instruction,  for  in  his  day 
schools  were  distinctly  religious  in  their  character,  and  it  was 
not  necessary  to  say  anything  in  favor  of  religious  teaching  in 


THE  MEANING  AND  AIM   OF  EDUCATION  101 

them.  His  entire  theory  of  education  presupposes  this.  It  is  true 
that  he  believed  that  the  state  university  should  be  undenomina- 
tional in  its  teachings ;  it  could  be  none  other  than  this  and  be 
supported  by  a  state  composed  of  individuals  of  all  denominations, 
but  this  did  not  mean  that  the  separation  of  church  and  state 
should  result  in  the  taking  of  all  religious  teaching  away  from 
the  common  schools.  His  feligious  standards  were  high,  and  the 
demands  for  citizens  of  the  highest  and  best  character,  led  him  to 
the  common  school  to  furnish  this.  He  would  teach  religion  by 
having  the  teacher  teach  religiously. 

Instruction  is  the  means  by  which  a  human  being  becomes 
educated.  Mr.  Pierce  is  clear  in  his  statements  upon  this  point. 
He  speaks  of  education  as  a  means  or  process  that  makes  a  man 
and,  at  the  same  time,  "makes  the  state  and  exalts  it  to  empire." 
And  as  superior  knowledge  gives  a  power  of  mind  over  matter, 
education  is  an  all  important  end  to  be  pursued  through  life. 
But  instruction  is  the  presentation  of  facts,  the  communication 
of  light  and  knowledge  and  is,  therefore,  only  a  means  to  an 
end.  The  following  quotation  makes  his  meaning  clear;  "The 
primary  signification  of  the  word  educate  is  to  draw  out,  while 
the  original  meaning  of  instruct  is  to  pour  in ;  to  educate  is  to 
unfold,  to  develop  all  the  powers  of  the  nature  of  man,  while  to 
instruct  is  to  communicate  facts.  Education  is  the  end,  and 
instruction  the  means  of  accomplishing  that  end;"  and  finally, 
in  his  address,  delivered  at  the  dedication  of  the  State  Normal 
School,  at  Ypsilanti,  his  definition  of  education  seems  to  be  the 
summary  of  his  life  thought  and  experience.  He  says:  "Edu- 
cation comprehends  all  that  series  of  instruction  and  discipline 
which  is  intended  to  enlighten  the  understanding,  correct  the 
temper  and  form  the  manners  of  youth  and  fit  them  for  usefulness 
in  their  future  stations  of  life." 

Having  given  education  a  meaning  and  fixed  its  aim,  he  next 
seeks  for  a  realization  and  accomplishment  of  all  this.  How  can 
the  ideal  of  education  be  realized?  How  can  the  aim  which  has 
been  set  up  become  actual  in  the  life  of  the  man  and  the  citizen? 
This  is  first  answered  by  viewing  education  as  a  science  and  an 


102  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

art  and,  then,  by  providing  the  agencies  whose  function  shall  be 
to  execute  the  principles  and  realize  them  as  an  art. 

Education  is  to  be  regarded  both  as  a  science  and  as  an  art. 
It  is  a  science  because  it  has  its  distinct  subject,  its  distinct 
object  and  is  governed  by  its  own  peculiar  laws.  It  is  the  object 
of  the  science  of  education,  while  it  communicates  in  a  given 
time  the  greatest  amouDtof  knowledge,  to  render  mind  the  fittest 
instrument  for  discovering,  applying  and  obeying  the  laws  of  the 
universe  in  which  the  man  is  placed.  If  education  is  a  science, 
it  can  only  be  understood  by  study.  But,  like  other  sciences,  it 
has  its  corresponding  art, — the  art  of  teaching,  and  hence  results 
the  profession  of  the  teacher.  If  teaching  then  be  an  art,  it  can 
only  be  successfully  practiced  by  one  who  has  had  suitable  pre- 
paration for  his  work. 

A  summary  of  Mr.  Pierce's  views  upon  the  meaning  and  aim 
of  education  may  be  stated  as  follows: 

Expressing  the  aim  in  ethical  terms,  it  should  include  every- 
thing that  is  social  and  religious.  The  state  should  aim,  by 
means  of  education,  to  procure  efficient  and  intelligent  citizens; 
while  the  home  and  the  church,  exercising  their  perogatives, 
should  aim  to  produce  strong,  religious  characters.  This  can 
be  done  only  by  organized  means,  hence  the  institutions  con- 
cerned should  aim  to  provide  the  best  possible  agencies  by  which 
these  ends  may  be  secured. 

Education  has  been  shown  to  be  a  maturing  procsss, — the 
development  of  a  human  soul.  Coordinate  with  this  process  and 
not  as  a  result  of  it,  the  child,  in  becoming  an  educated  man, 
enters  into  possession  of  his  ancestral  inheritance  of  institutional 
life.  By  virtue  of  his  acquired  efficiency,  he  transmits  it  to  the 
future.  In  becoming  educated, the  child  gains  knowledge  and  power. 
Education  is  both  a  science  and  an  art,  and,  as  instruction  is  the 
means  by  which  it  is  acquired,  the  highest  and  best  understand- 
ing of  this  science  and  art  is  necessary  for  the  training  of  those 
who  are  to  carry  on  this  great  work  of  life. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

EDUCATIONAL   METHOD 

Mr.  Pierce  was  a  practical  teacher,  as  well  as  an  organizer 
and  writer  upon  education.  He  not  only  entertained  clear  con- 
victions on  ail  the  educational  questions  of  the  day,  and  was  able 
to  sustain  them  by  means  of  a  sound  philosophy,  but  he  had  had 
opportunity,  in  his  younger  days,  to  engage  in  the  actual  work  of 
teaching.  l 

In  one  of  his  addresses,  he  gives  us  a  description  of  his  prac- 
tical work.  "I  have,"  he  said,  "one  word  to  say  to  such  as  mean 
to  be  teachers;  it  is  a  laborious  employment.  I  seldom  sat  down 
from  the  time  I  entered  the  school  room  until  I  left  it,  besides 
teaching  five  evenings  in  the  week.  And  I  may  be  allowed  to 
add  that,  though  I  have  had  one  hundred  pupils  for  the  day 
and  forty  on  my  list  for  the  evening,  I  never  had  occasion, 
except  in  one  or  two  cases,  to  inflict  corporal  punishment;  and 
yet  we  had  order  and  stillness  in  school.  I  have,  in  times  gone 
by,  given  instruction  in  all  branches,  and  have  made  philosoph- 
ical and  chemical  experiments,  and  have  even  carried  into  the 
school  room  the  dissecting  knife  and  showed  to  the  young  mind 
the  peculiar  structure  of  the  eye,  and  the  formation  of  the  ear, 
and  other  things  pertaining  to  the  animal  economy." 

We  can  see  in  this  account  something  of  the  man  as  a  teacher, 
and  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  perceive  that  in  his  methods  he  was 
far  in  advance  of  those  employed  in  the  school  of  his  day.  This 
method  was  not  empirical,  but  was  rational  and  was  derived 
from  fixed  principles.  Fortunately,  he  has  left  much  that  will 
serve  us  in  our  attempts  to  formulate  these  principles.  We  shall 
proceed  to  an  examination  of  the  foundation  of  his  method,  then 
to  what  he  has  to  say  about  it,  and,  lastly,  inquire  into  the  ways 
and  means  to  be  used,  in  the  actual  application  of  the  method  to 
teaching. 

1  See  page  60. 

103 


104  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

He  was  a  psychologist  of  the  old  school.  He  understood  the 
mind  and  the  laws  of  its  development  and,  in  more  than  one 
instance,  convinces  the  reader  that  he  had  come  in  touch  with 
the  newer  psychology.  He  never  refers  to  the  doctrine  of  inter- 
est as  such,  makes  no  reference  to  apperception  and  does  not 
plead  for  correlation.  He  lived  before  their  time  and  yet  he 
betrays  the  fact  that,  had  he  lived  at  the  present,  he  would  have 
given  these  notions  a  place  in  his  system.  He  speaks  of  the 
importance  of  each  person  possessing  a  knowledge  of  himself, 
discusses  the  relation  between  matter  and  mind,  and  shows  how 
each  of  these  is  affected  by  this  relation.  If  the  brain  is  the 
chief  instrument  of  mind  in  all  its  operations,  then  whatever 
may  affect  the  brain  must  necessarily  affect  the  mind ;  hence,  on 
account  of  the  complex  nature  of  man,  it  is  of  the  highest  degree 
important  and  essential  that  we  have  a  correct  knowledge  of 
the  intellectual,  moral  and  religious  nature.  Such  a  knowledge 
can  be  secured  in  only  one  way;  by  self  study,  by  turning  our 
thoughts  back  upon  ourselves  for  the  purpose  of  observing  these 
varied  operations  of  the  mind.  This  knowledge  is  essential  and 
important  to  the  teacher  because  his  first  work  is  to  study  the 
child  and  understand  his  nature,  in  order  to  develop  his  mind 
and,  in  the  end,  perfect  his  character. 

Mr.  Pierce  tells  us  that  one  of  the  original,  innate  elements  of 
the  human  mind  is  a  desire  for  knowledge.  It  is  not  easy  to 
understand  his  meaning.  By  taking  into  consideration  all  that 
he  has  said  regarding  the  mind,  we  are  led  to  think  that  he 
means  that,  as  the  child  is  brought  into  relationship 
with  the  things  of  his  environment,  and  is  led  to  interpret  them 
in  terms  of  what  is  already  in  his  experience,  his  interest  is  aroused 
and  as  a  result,  he  is  induced  to  greater  effort.  This  is  a  state- 
ment of  the  subjective  condition  of  which  the  following  is  the 
objective :  he  says,  that  this  desire  is  easily  developed  in  child- 
ren; they  uniformly  love  to  learn,  and  the  more  they  study  the 
more  they  wish  to  study,  and  the  more  they  read  the  more  they 
wish  to  read,  provided  the  books,  put  within  their  reach,  are 
what  they  should  be,  plain  and  easy  to  be  understood  and  filled 
with  useful  and  interesting  matter. 


EDUCATIONAL    METHOD  105 

His  catalogue  of  the  mental  powers  is  interesting.  "The 
rational  nature  is  obviously  three-fold,  intellectual,  moral  and 
religious.  The  chief  intellectual  powers  are  perception,  memory, 
reason,  association  of  ideas,  imagination  and  fancy;  the  moral 
powers  are  ability  to  distinguish  between  right  and  wrongi  to 
will,  to  choose  and  refuse;  while  the  affections,  emotions  and 
passions  form  the  heart  and  constitute  our  religious  being."  He 
was  an  intellectualist  and  believes  that  the  moral  and  religious 
nature  are  consequent  to  and  grow  out  of  the  intellect. 

He  speaks  of  the  mind  perceiving  the  existence  of  objects  and 
the  relations  by  which  they  are  connected.  The  mind  then 
remembers  and  feels,  combines  and  infers  conclusions,  and  then 
acts  or  wills.  This,  he  says,  all  takes  place  as  a  development 
and  follows  the  course  of  nature,  but  it  is  necessary  to  know 
what  this  course  of  nature  is;  therefore,  study  nature.  One 
might  feel  that  he  were  reading  Comenius  when  he  comes  to  the 
following:  "Nature  begins  at  the  lowest  point,  with  the  simplest 
things,  and  leads  onward  and  upward,  step  by  step." 

He  had  made  a  close  observation  of  the  process  of  learning 
and  speaks  of  it  with  a  definiteness  that  does  not  leave  one  in 
doubt  as  to  his  meaning.  He  had  observed  that  children  learn 
the  first  principles  of  things  and  the  elements  of  language  with 
astonishing  rapidity  and  ease,  and  that  the  abstract  sciences 
require  a  fuller  development  of  the  intellectual  faculties,  but  in 
no  place  does  he  intimate  a  knowledge  of  the  method  to  be 
employed  in  bringing  about  abstract  thinking.  He  is  satisfied 
with  the  mere  observation,  that  the  mind  passes  slowly  from 
infancy,  through  childhood  and  youth,  to  mature  age.  The  fol- 
lowing quotation  shows  us  what  he  understood  by  the  learning 
process:  "The  process  by  which  the  child  learns  in  the  home  is 
as  follows:  an  object  is  presented,  it  is  viewed  perhaps  as  children 
are  wont  to  do,  examined  more  closely,  the  name  of  it  is  repeated 
and  he  associates  with  the  object  the  name  of  it;  whenever  after- 
ward the  object  is  presented  he  calls  it  by  name.  The  child  has 
thus  learned  the  sign  of  an  idea,  but,  before  learning  it,  he  had 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  thing  signified  by  that  sign."  It 
is  implied  in  what  has  been  said  that  he  would  have  the  child  do 


106  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

those  things  that  will  interest  him.  Children,  he  says,  are 
interested  in  study  and  their  school  work,  but,  because  of  an 
incomprehensible  book  or  a  poor  teacher,  this  interest  is  soon 
lost  and  the  teaching  is  a  failure. 

Mr.  Pierce  does  not  give  us  anywhere  any  statement  that 
makes  clear  what  he  means  by  method.  Had  he  been  writing 
upon  the  subject  of  education  as  such,  he  might  have  done  this; 
but  he  looked  forward  to  an  organized  school  system  and  there- 
fore devoted  his  thought  and  attention  more  to  the  means  to  be 
employed  in  teaching  than  to  a  fixed  method.  He  believed  in 
the  efficiency  of  new  and  better  methods  of  instruction,  which 
should  be  based  upon  the  simplest  principles  of  human  nature. 
He  says,  "If  the  child  is  properly  instructed,  he  will  be  taught 
thoroughly,  and  then  the  knowledge  which  he  requires  will  be 
permanent  and  it  will  be  communicated  in  the  shortest  time, 
which  is  an  object  of  great  moment."  The  nearest  approach  to  a 
statement  of  method  is  in  the  following:  "The  faculties  of  our 
constitution  are  all  invigorated  by  that  exercise  which  is  required 
in  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  but  each  must  be  duly  exer- 
cised." Therefore,  the  great  object  of  teaching,  he  argues, 
should  be  to  impart,  in  a  given  period,  the  greatest  amount  of 
knowledge  and  the  greatest  degree  of  strength  to  each  one  of 
the  original  faculties.  He  would  throw  the  teacher  upon  his 
own  genius  in  devising  his  own  special  method,  by  throwing  him 
back  upon  the  days  of  his  childhood  and  youth,  and  calling  up 
a  vivid  recollection  of  his  own  history  in  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge. 

Mr.  Pierce  saw  very  clearly  that  no  matter  how  perfect  the 
organization,  or  how  well  the  detailed  plans  may  have  been 
prearranged,  success  could  not  come  to  any  system  of  schools 
unless  the  proper  methods  were  employed  and  the  right  agencies 
used  for  carrying  it  forward. 

Acting,  therefore,  upon  suggestions  gained  from  his  study  of 
the  Prussian  system,  he  spoke  in  his  report  quite  at  length  upon 
the  necessity  of  trained  teachers,  the  value  of  a  proper  course  of 
study,  books  and  libraries,  school-houses  and  the  necessary 
appliances.  The  suggestions  he  offered  showed  his  wisdom  and 


EDUCATIONAL    METHOD  107 

foresight,  and  proved  exceedingly  helpful  to  the  people  in  organ- 
izing their  schools,  and  eventually  became  the  origin  of  much 
that  is  valuable  at  the  present. 

He  felt  keenly  that,  no  matter  how  perfect  the  organization  of 
a  system  of  schools  in  all  of  its  varied  departments  might  be,  it 
must  fail  in  securing  the  desired  results  without  a  sufficient 
number  of  competent  teachers,  and  that  it  would  be  utterly 
impossible  to  elevate  the  schools  and  make  them  what  they 
ought  to  be,  to  meet  the  just  demands  of  all  classes  of  the  com- 
munity, without  elevating  the  character  and  rank  of  the  teachers. 
He  expresses  his  idea  of  the  teacher  in  the  following  words : 
"There  are  chords  in  every  human  soul,  and  strings  in  every 
human  heart,  that  may  be  touched  and  vibrate  as  they  are 
touched,  and  it  is  the  business  of  the  teacher  to  do  it.  A  perfect 
school  system  must  have  a  living  soul.  The  teacher  is  its  life 
and  vital  energy,  its  pervading,  innovating  spirit." 

Such  was  the  ideal,  but  how  was  it  possible  to  realize  it?  We 
have  seen  a  picture  of  the  school  in  the  pioneer  day  and  the 
incompetence  of  the  teacher.  Mr.  Pierce  saw  this  more  clearly 
than  anyone  else,  and,  in  his  practical  way,  would  attempt  to 
remedy  the  evil  by  affording  a  means,  first  to  educate  and  then  to 
train  teachers.  The  training  of  teachers  was  not  an  original  idea 
with  him.  Europe  had  long  before  this  opened  normal  schools. 
M.  Cousin  explained  fully  the  Prussian  plan  of  such  schools,  and 
the  idea  was  fast  gaining  ground  in  the  New  England  States.  1 
It  was  not  possible  to  provide  such  a  school  in  the  new  state  of 
Michigan,  so  Mr.  Pierce  did  the  only  thing  he  could  do  under 
the  circumstances.  In  his  second  annual  report,  he  discloses  his 
plan:  "It  would  seem  to  be  indispensably  necessary,  if  the 
securing  of  competent  teachers  can  be  brought  about  in  no  other 
way,  to  appropriate  a  small  percentage  of  the  income  of  the 
school  fund  for  the  support  of  the  department  of  teachers,  to  be 
established  in  the  several  branches  of  the  university.  The  sole 
object  of  these  branches  is  the  ultimate  supply  of  the  district 

1  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  principal  of  the  first  normal  school  in 
Massachusetts  established  at  Lexington  in  1839,  Rev.  Cyrus  Pierce,  was  a 
relative  of  John  D.  Pierce, 


108  JOHN  D. 

schools  with  competent  teachers."  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  normal  school  idea  in  Michigan.  In  the  address  which  he 
gave  at  the  opening  of  the  first  normal  school  at  Ypsilanti,  he 
said:  "The  object  of  this  school  is  to  qualify  teachers  for  the 
great  and  important  work  of  rearing  up  and  training,  in  the  first 
rudiments  of  knowledge,  the  children  and  youth  of  our  state,  and 
incidentally  to  this  main  design,  to  provide  such,  as  may  desire, 
the  means  of  reaching  a  grade  of  education  that  may  be  obtained 
in  the  primary  schools.  It  was  earnestly  desired  by  me,  when 
the  foundation  of  our  school  system  was  laid,  that  such  an  insti- 
tution might  be  established.  It  has  ever  been  my  deliberate 
judgment  that  it  was  essential  to  perfect  the  system  and  ensure 
success.  It  is  needed  to  occupy  ground  between  the  primary 
schools  and  the  university." 

Having  shown  the  desirability  of  the  trained  and  thorougly 
equipped  teacher,  he  called  attention  next  to  the  fact  that  the 
teacher  must  receive  adequate  compensation  for  the  service 
rendered.  While  he  would  place  the  minimum  salary  at  thirty 
dollars  for  men  and  fifteen  dollars  per  month  for  women,  we 
must  remember  that  these  figures  at  that  time  were  relatively  far 
above  the  average  salary  of  the  present.  He  argues  that  it  would 
be  unavailing  to  provide  for  the  education  of  teachers  unless  the 
appreciation  of  this  efficiency  is  expressed  by  a  liberal  compen- 
sation. "The  difference  between  high  and  low  wages,"  he  wrote, 
"depends  upon  education,  because  the  educated  man  has  more 
intelligence  and  skill  to  combine  with  his  labor  than  the  ignor- 
ant, unlettered  man."  He  believed  that  the  minimum  salary 
should  be  so  fixed,  that  below  this  no  teacher  should  be  entitled 
to  receive  aid  from  the  public  fund,  and  that  every  teacher  should 
have  been  through  a  regular  course  of  training  and  have  received, 
from  the  academic  board,  a  diploma  setting  forth  his  qualifica- 
tions as  a  teacher ;  and  finally  that  the  provisions  of  the  law 
should  be  such  that  no  township  should  be  entitled  to  any  por- 
tion of  the  income,  from  the  public  fund,  which  did  not  employ 
such  qualified  teachers. 

A  course  of  study  is  next  in  importance  to  the  teacher,  and  Mr 
Pierce  made   some    very    interesting    and   valuable  suggestions 


EDUCATIONAL,  METHOD  109 

upon  the  various  subjects  to  be  included  in  the  curriculum.  The 
elements  of  an  education  were,  of  course,  reading,  writing  and 
arithmetic,  and  a  good  education  he  said  might  be  acquired  with 
these.  He  mentions,  however,  many  other  subjects  such  as 
physiology,  psychology,  civics,  geography,  grammar,  history, 
surveying,  engineering,  botany,  chemistry  and  geology.  In  all 
of  his  statements  regarding  the  subjects  to  be  taught,  emphasis 
is  placed  upon  the  practical  value  of  them.  A  study  possesses 
value  in  proportion  as  it  will  give  a  man  a  broader  view  of  life. 
The  following  excerpts  from  his  writings,  regarding  the  differ- 
ent subjects,  will  prove  interesting  reading  and  will  fully  illus- 
trate his  opinions. 

READING 

"A  reading  book  is  for  improvement  in  the  art  of  reading  and 
hence  should  contain  some  variety  of  composition.  Kvery  piece 
should  contain  something  entertaining  and  useful  and  be  written 
in  plain,  simple  and  elegant  language — in  such  language  as 
children  use,  in  language  easy  to  understand.  The  reason  why 
children  read  large  portions  of  the  Bible  with  interest,  is  because 
they  understand  the  langauge." 

SPEIyUNG 

"The  object  of  a  spelling  book  is  not  definition  of  words,  but, 
as  the  designation  imports,  it  is  chiefly  to  teach  correct  orthog- 
raphy; and  it  should  be  specially  adapted  to  this  purpose." 

"The  principles  of  classification  adopted  by  Webster  have  done 
more  to  promote  uniformity  of  pronunciation  among  our  people 
than  all  other  causes  combined." 

"Children  do  not  learn  the  meaning  of  words  from  books. 
This  is  done  in  the  house  and  in  the  open  field— in  converse 
with  nature." 

ARITHMETIC 

"The  practice  has  been  to  require  the  youthful  mind  to  com- 
mit to  memory  certain  rules  and  thus  to  solve  questions  mechan- 
ically. On  the  other  hand,  when  questions  are  solved  by  the 
process  of  reasoning,  the  mind  is  satisfied,  it  has  the  evidence 


110  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

within  itself  that  the  solution  is  correct;  and  thus  a  rule  is  dis- 
covered that  can  never  be  forgotten." 

"A  child,  old  enough  to  know  what  addition  is  and  how  to 
perform  the  process,  is  just  as  capable  of  understanding  the 
reason  why  one  is  carried  for  every  ten,  as  any  teacher." 

LANGUAGE. 

"In  some  schools  Latin  has  been  taught.  I  have  taught  it  in  a 
common  school,  I  would  not  adopt  any  provision  by  which  any 
knowledge  would  be  excluded.  I  would  make  it  imperative  that 
the  English  language  should  be  taught." 

HISTORY  AND   CIVICS 

"The  history  of  our  country  is  implied  in  a  good  education." 
"Our  young  men  in  all   conditions  of  life,    should  be  taught 
the  great  principles  of  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  State,  and 
of  the  United  States.     No  man  can  do  his  duty  while  ignorant  of 
them." 

GEOGRAPHY 

"Education  implies  a  knowledge  of  our  country,  its  political 
and  natural  divisions,  geological  formation,  its  resources,  soils, 
and  commerce." 

NATURE  STUDY 

"Children  are  fond  of  making  experiments.  The  philosopher 
is  allowed  to  make  his,  so  should  the  child.  More  experiments 
should  be  introduced  into  our  schools." 

"No  education  can  be  regarded  as  complete  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  agriculture.  Agriculture  is  most  peculiarity  adapted  to 
give  to  a  people  that  individuality  of  character  which  is  essential 
to  sustain  republican  institutions." 

PHYSIOLOGY 

"Children  must  be  early  informed  of  their  bodily  constitution. 
A  man  who  knows  what  his  physical  condition  is,  and  requires, 
will  not  be  likely  to  be  either  a  glutton  or  a  drunkard,  but  tem- 
perate in  all  things." 


EDUCATIONAL    METHOD  111 

Mr.  Pierce  believed  the  teacher  to  be  superior  to  the  book, 
and  that  the  one  who  had  been  most  thoroughly  trained  could  do 
vastly  more  with  the  most  ordinary  book  than  the  incompetent 
teacher  could  do  with  the  best  books  ever  written.  He  believed 
in  good  books,  however,  and  felt  that  those  in  use  were 
mere  compilations  gotten  up  for  speculation,  written  by  those 
in  no  way  qualified  to  write  for  children.  "Authors  should 
throw  themselves  back  to  days  of  childhood  and  call  to  mind 
how  children  think,  feel,  and  reason.  The  language  should 
be  pure  and  simple." 

In  his  fifth  annual  report,  Mr.  Pierce  published  a  list  of  the 
text-books  then  in  use  in  the  state.  It  will  prove  of  interest  to 
the  reader  to  examine  this  list,  and  to  notice  the  relative  popu- 
larity of  the  different  books,  as  indicated  by  the  number  of 
districts  in  which  they  were  used. 

Webster's  elementary  spelling  book 548 

Cobb's  elementary  spelling  book 62 

Town's  elementary  spelling  book 14 

Emerson's  elementary  spelling  book 2 

Olney's  geography 315 

Parley's  geography 78 

Woodbridge's  geography 47 

Smith's  geography 89 

Huntington's  geography 17 

Daboll's  arithmetic : 304 

Cobb's  arithmetic 3 

Adams'  arithmetic 103 

Smith's  arithmetic 119 

Davis*   arithmetic 15 

Ostrander's  arithmetic 31 

Pike's  arithmetic 5 

Colburn's  arithmetic .... 21 

Kirkham's  grammar 266 

Murray's  grammar 27 

Smith's  grammar. 65 

Brown's  grammar 23 

Greenleaf's  grammar 6 


112  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

Hale's  history  of  the  United  States 145 

Juvenile  reader 49 

National  reader 7 

English  reader 371 

Historical  reader 20 

Young  reader 4 

Porter's  reader 4 

Testament — used  as  reader 116 

Webster's  dictionary 13 

Walker's  dictionary 11 

Mr.  Pierce  said  that  when  the  necessities  of  education  are  the 
greatest,  then  the  difficulties  are  the  greatest  and  the  means  the 
least.  In  his  first  report,  he  not  only  submitted  the  plan  of  a 
school  house,  but  made  some  suggestions  in  regard  to  the  con- 
struction of  one.  In  the  first  place,  he  would  have  the  entire 
premises,  with  all  the  appendages,  the  construction  of  the  house 
and  its  internal  arrangements,  the  picture  of  order,  of  neatness 
and  comfort.  The  windows  should  be  high,  so  as  to  prevent  out- 
door occurrences  from  attracting  attention,  also  for  the  purpose 
of  ventilation.  The  floor  should  be  level.  The  temperature  of 
the  room  should  be  kept  at  60°,  and  there  should  be  21  cu.  ft.  of 
air  to  each  pupil.  He  recommended  farther  that  the  seats  should 
be  so  constructed  as  to  conform  to  the  natural  curve  of  the  back 
of  the  child. 

At  the  close  of  his  term  of  office,  he  wrote  as  follows  regarding 
school  houses: 

"Large  sums  have  been  raised  for  the  erection  of  school 
houses.  True,  many  of  them  are  built  of  logs,  and  might  be 
taken  by  some  unreflecting  passerby  from  some  of  our  large  and 
wealthy  cities,  as  evidence  that  little  or  no  interest  is  felt  in 
schools ;  but  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  buildings,  though 
rude  they  may  be,  are  as  good  as  the  circumstances  of  a  people 
in  their  infancy  will  allow — good,  indeed,  as  their  own  dwellings. ' ' 

We  have  now  traced  the  philosophical  theory  of  the  state  and 
its  relation  to  the  individual;  and  have  seen  how  it  gives  a  mean- 
ing to  education  and  fixes  its  aim.  We  have  seen  how  the 
method  and  the  means  for  its  accomplishment  grew  out  of  all 


EDUCATIONAL    METHOD  113 

this,  and  how  Mr.  Pierce  adapted  these  ideals  to  the  pioneer  con- 
ditions incident  to  the  organization  of  a  new  state.  We  shall  next 
see  how  he  actually  organized  Michigan's  school  system. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


ORGANIZED  EDUCATION. 

Mr.  Pierce  entered  upon  the  work  of  organizing  the  school 
system  of  Michigan,  which  had  fortunately  been  assigned  to  him 
by  theGoverner  of  the  State,  with  a  rare  intelligence.  For  nearly 
five  years  he  labored  with  untiring  zeal  and  vigor. 

Prof.  McLaughlin  says  of  him: — l 

"He  combined  rare  philosophical  grasp  with  genuine  practical 
sagacity,  and  at  once  began  the  duties  of  a  new  office  in  a  way 
that  inspired  confidence  and  had  immediate  effect," 

He  was  well  prepared  to  undertake  this  work,  having  been 
trained  and  educated  in  the  East,  and  having,  in  the  exercise  of 
the  ministerial  function,  had  the  greatest  opportunity  and  leisure 
for  the  study  of  the  great  educational  questions  of  the  day.  He 
had  read  extensively,  and  had  been  a  keen  student  of  men  and 
affairs.  As  a  man,  he  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions.  He 
possessed  excellent  executive  ability,  and,  having  clearly  per- 
ceived the  conditions  and  needs  of  the  new  state,  he  brought  all 
of  his  powers  to  bear  upon  the  means  at  his  command  to  produce 
enduring  and  practical  results.  No  sooner  had  he  received  his 
commission  as  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  than  an  act 
was  passed  by  the  legislature  instructing  him  to  prepare  and  sub- 
mit apian  for  the  organization  and  support  of  primary  schools;  a 
plan  for  a  university  and  its  branches;  also,  a  plan  for  the  dis- 
position of  the  university  and  primary  school  lands.  He  says, 
regarding  this  act:  — 

"This  was  the  first  work  assigned  me  to  do,  and  I  had  five 
months  before  me  in  which  to  do  it.  The  field  was  clear;  there 
were  no  old  institutions  and  deep-rooted  prejudices  to  be 
encountered  and  removed." 

1  Organization  of  the  State  University.  Circular  of  Information,  No  4,  p.  35 . 
Bureau  of  Education. 

114 


ORGANIZED   EDUCATION  115 

In  order  to  fully  prepare  himself  to  execute  this  commission 
and  to  discharge  the  duties  of  his  office  in  an  acceptable  and 
satisfactory  manner,  he  made  a  visit  to  Massachusetts  and  the 
eastern  states,  as  has  been  shown  above.1  The  object  of  this  visit 
was  to  make  a  careful  study  of  educational  questions,  and  to  seek 
information  in  regard  to  the  organization,  management  and  sup- 
port of  schools  from  the  primary  grades  to  the  university. 

He  was  absent  two  months.  Upon  his  return,  he  formulated 
a  report  in  which  he  discussed,  in  a  clear  and  forcible  manner,  all 
of  the  questions  involved,  and  submitted  to  the  legislature  a 
detailed  plan  which,  with  few  exceptions  and  minor  modifications, 
was  adopted  and  embodied  in  the  laws  of  the  state. 

In  order  to  form  an  adequate  idea  of  what  he  proposed  regard- 
ing the  organization  of  the  common  schools,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  examine  Mr.  Pierce's  first  report  somewhat  in  detail  In  the 
preceding  chapters  reference  was  made  to  this  and  his  subsequent 
reports,  as  furnishing  the  material  for  the  construction 
of  his  educational  views  into  a  rational  unit.  As  these  reports  are 
inaccessible  to  the  general  reader,  there  being  only  a  limited 
number  of  copies  in  existence,  it  is  proposed  to  quote  quite 
extensively.  This  is  done  in  order  that  the  reader  may  have  a 
statement  of  Mr.  Pierce's  views,  and  be  left  free  to  compare  the 
same  with  the  actual  organization  of  the  schools  as  they  are  now. 

Two  important  and  fundamental  educational  problems  present- 
ed themselves  to  Mr.  Pierce  for  solution.  1)  The  proper  distri- 
bution of  the  school  funds;  and  2)  How  to  secure  an  organized 
body  of  officers  to  administer  the  affairs  of  the  school. 

The  success  or  failure  of  the  entire  system  would  necessarily 
depend  upon  the  disposition  which  should  be  made  of  these  ques- 
tions. It  was  seen  to  be  necessary  and  important  that  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  income  arising  from  the  sale  or  leasing  of  pub- 
lic lands  should  be  based  on  broad  principles  which  would  have  a 
strong  tendency  "to  stimulate  to  exertion  and  secure  the  co- 
operation of  the  greatest  numbers  in  promoting  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation." Mr.  Pierce  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  distribution  of 
this  income,  in  its  proper  place,  could  be  so  made  from  year  to 

1    See  page  82. 


116  JOHN    D.     PIERCE 

year,  that  the  ends  sought  would  be  gained.  Accordingly,  it  was 
proposed  that  all  districts,  failing  to  comply  with  the  law, 
should  be  deprived  of  their  share  of  the  income. 

The  success  of  this  proposed  plan  would  not  be  assured,  how- 
ever, without  an  efficient  school  board,  to  be  elected  by  the  people. 
Upon  the  wisdom,  fidelity,  and  zeal  of  the  board,  the  success  of 
the  whole  system  would,  in  a  great  measure,  depend.  The  school 
board  must  be  given  legislative  and  executive  powers,  and  the 
men  composing  it  must  be  regarded  as  trustees  of  the  people, 
deputed  to  fulfill  certain  important  trusts.  Mr.  Pierce  wrote  as 
follows  regarding  this: — 

"There  must  be  simplicity,  combined  with  activity  and 
energy.  Let  the  agents  be  few;  let  their  duties  be  clearly 
defined,  and  let  them,  as  in  the  Prussian  system,  be  paid  for  their 
services.  The  time  of  every  man  is  his  property,  and  cannot, 
either  justly  or  constitutionally,  be  taken  and  given  to  the  public 
without  remuneration." 

Mr.  Pierce  accordingly  submitted  to  the  legislature  a  plan  in 
harmony  with  the  above-named  principles,  and  which  was  sub- 
stantially as  follows: — 

The  unit  of  the  system  shall  be  the  school  district.  It  must 
be  invested  with  certain  well  defined  corporation  powers,  and 
must  be  held  responsible  for  the  performance  of  certain  well 
defined  duties.  The  district  must  make  provision  for  the  erec- 
tion of  all  buildings,  and  must  provide  the  necessary  school 
appliances.  For  this,  as  well  as  for  library  purposes,  it  may 
levy  a  tax.  Suitable  officers,  whose  duties  must  be  defined  by 
law,  must  be  elected;  only  properly  qualified  teachers  are  to  be 
employed,  and  a  school  must  be  maintained  at  least  three  months 
in  the  year.  The  officers  composing  the  district  board  were 
called  the  moderator,  director  and  assessor,  and  the  duties 
imposed  on  them,  severally  and  collectively,  were  but  little 
different  from  those  printed  in  the  present  school  law. 

There  seems  to'  be  little  doubt  that  Mr.  Pierce  was  influ- 
enced by  the  Report  of  the  Prussian  System  in  the  choice  of  the 
school  district  as  the  unit  of  his  system.  It  corresponds  to  the 
parish  mentioned  in  the  report,  but  with  this  difference,  that 


ORGANIZED    EDUCATION  117 

much  more  power  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  people  under 
the  Michigan  system  than  was  delegated  to  them  under  the  Prus- 
sian law.  The  Prussian  school  system  was  highly  centralized.  It 
was  Mr.  Pierce's  idea  that,  while  the  schools  were  always  to  be 
kept,  as  an  organized  unitary  system,  under  the  control  of  a  cen- 
tral authority,  much  power  should  be  retained  and  exercised  by 
the  people,  and  the  will  of  the  majority  in  the  unit  should  always 
prevail,  so  long  as  the  will  did  not  conflict  with  the  will  of  the 
great  majority. 

The  next  division  of  the  system,  regarded  from  the  stand- 
point of  importance  and  size,  was  the  township,  which  was,  like 
the  district,  a  corporate  body  with  specific  functions,  and 
endowed  with  rights  and  charged  with  duties.  It  will  be  recalled 
that  at  one  time  previous  to  this,  the  township,  as  in  the  east,  had 
been  the  unit  of  the  system.  The  township  was  enjoined  to  raise 
an  amount  of  money  equal  to  the  amount  received  from  the 
school  fund.  It  was  required  that  a  board  of  school  inspectors 
be  chosen  by  the  people.  It  was  the  duty  of  this  board  to  attend 
to  the  formation  of  new  districts,  inspect  the  schools  and  teach- 
ers, apportion  the  money  received  from  the  income  of  the  school 
fund,  among  several  districts,  and  to  make  annual  reports  to  the 
superintendent  of  public  instruction.  The  points  of  similarity 
between  the  township  and  the  circle  of  the  Prussian  system,  while 
they  may  be  incidental,  are  quite  plainly  observable. 

Mr.  Pierce  believed  in  the  value  of  the  public  library,  and  felt 
that  it  should  be  so  arranged  as  to  be  easy  of  access  to  the  great- 
est number  of  people.  Accordingly,  he  recommended  that 
provision  be  made  for  a  library  in  every  school  district,  aud  this 
plan  was  incorporated  in  the  school  law.  The  success  and 
extension  of  school  librararies  in  Michigan  in  recent  years  is  the 
most  fitting  testimonial  of  the  value  of  this  suggestion,  and  is  the 
best  realization  of  the  ideals  of  the  founder  and  organizer  of  our 
school  system.  Quoting  from  his  third 'report,  he  says:  — 

"To  accomplish  the  greatest  degree  of  good  in  our  state,  dis- 
trict libraries  must  be  established;  not  only  that  the  useful  infor- 
mation contained  in  well  selected  books  may  be  generally  con  - 


118  JOHN  D.   FIERCE 

veyed,  but  that  the  teachers    may  have  the  benefit  of  acquiring 
the  most  extended  knowledge." 

But  unless  some  attention  were  given  to  the  material  organiza- 
tion of  a  school,  any  theory  would  prove  unavailing  and  futile. 
Michigan  had  but  few  school  buildings  in  1837,  and  these  were 
poor  ones.  The  superintendent,  recognizing  the  importance  of 
the  immediate  construction  of  good  and  comfortable  ones,  called 
attention  to  this  important  subject.  The  following  was  quoted 
from  the  report  of  the  Prussian  schools;  Cousin  said:  "The 
ministry  has  shown  the  most  praiseworthy  perseverance  in 
planning  school  houses.  I  have  now  under  my  eye  a  general 
order  addressed  to  all  the  regencies,  containing  a  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  the  best  and  most  economical  manner  of  building  school 
houses.  Their  construction  must  not  be  left  to  experience  or  to 
an  injudicious  economy." 

Acting  upon  these  ideas,  Mr.  Pierce  submitted  a  very  carefully 
drawn  ground  plan  of  a  model  school  house,  together  with  the 
suggestions  and  directions  which  have  been  discussed  in  detail  in 
a  previous  chapter.  It  is  curious  to  note  that  nearly  all  of  the 
older  rural  school  houses  in  the  state  are  constructed  after  this 
plan  and  in  accordance  with  his  wise  suggestions. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  in  the  Catholepistemiad,  according  to 
the  territorial  act  of  1821,  a  provision  was  made  for  the  establish- 
ment of  colleges,  schools,  and  academies,  by  the  board  of  trus- 
tees. Evidently  Mr.  Pierce  was  strongly  impressed  with  this  idea 
because  he  saw  in  the  academy,  as  a  branch  of  the  university,  not 
only  a  provision  for  secondary  education  and  a  preparatory 
school  for  the  higher  education,  but  an  opportunity  afforded 
for  the  education  and  training  of  teachers  for  the  pri- 
mary school.  Accordingly,  he  recommended  that  these 
branches  should  have  three  departments:  one  for  the  higher 
branches  of  English  education,  which  was  designed  to  furnish  a 
large  class  of  persons  with  an  opportunity  for  pursuing  some 
branches  of  education  in  advance  of  that  which  could  be  done  in 
the  primary  schools;  one  designed  for  classical  education, 
designed  for  those  who  wished  to  fit  themselves  to  enter  the  uni- 
versity ;  and  one  intended  to  prepare  teachers  for  the  elementary 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

or 


ORGANIZED    EDUCATION  119 

schools.  The  last  named  department  should  have  a  course  of 
instruction  covering  three  years,  and  was  to  be  open  to  all  without 
charge,  the  sole  condition  being  a  promise  to  teach  in  the  schools 
of  the  state  for  at  least  three  years  after  graduation. 

Any  county  was  entitled  to  an  academy  by  complying  with  the 
following  conditions:  — 

The  board  of  supervisors  must  secure  an  eligible  site  and 
cause  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings,  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  There  was  to  be  a 
board  of  trustees,  consisting  of  seven  persons,  six  of  whom  were 
to  be  appointed  by  the  board  of  supervisors,  and  one  by  the 
superintendent  of  public  instruction.  The  entire  management  of 
the  academy  was  to  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  this  board,  which 
was  to  appoint  all  professors  and  teachers,  and  was  required  to 
make  a  report  each  year  to  the  board  of  visitors.  The  board  of 
visitors  was  a  sort  of  supervising  body,  consisting  of  three  mem- 
bers, one  of  which  was  to  be  appointed  by  the  board  of  supervis- 
ors, and  two  by  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  The 
duties  of  this  board  consisted  in  visiting  the  academy  at  its 
annual  examination,  inquiring  into  its  condition,  examining  the 
proceedings  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and  finally  in  making  a 
report  and  forwarding  it,  together  with  the  report  of  the  board  of 
trustees,  to  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction. 

The  board  of  supervisors  was  to  secure  from  the  county,  for 
the  support  of  the  academy,  a  sum  equal  to  that  apportioned  to 
it  from  the  income  of  the  university  fund. 

Mr.  Pierce  was,  without  doubt,  largely  influenced  by  the 
Prussian  system  in  the  formation  of  his  plan  for  the  academy. 
The  academy  was  a  combination  of  the  Prussian  gymnasium  and 
the  normal  school,  while  the  method  and  means  for  their  man- 
agement and  supervision,  especially  regarding  the  close  relation- 
ship borne  to  the  central  officer  of  the  system,  'the  superinten- 
dent, was  a  ^ose  copy  of  the  Prussian  system.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  but  that  this  proposed  plan  of  the  academy  has  finally 
evolved  into  the  high  school,  normal  school,  and  county  normal. 

Mr.  Pierce's  recommendations  regarding  the  organization 
and  maintenance  of  the  university,  and  his  many  public  utter- 


120  JOHN  D. 

ances  regarding  its  value  and  prospective  greatness,  all  furnish 
abundant  evidence  that  his  interest  in  this  institution  was  great. 
It  was  his  desire  to  make  such  a  provision  for  a  system  of  educa- 
tion in  the  new  state  that  it  should  be  broad,  comprehensive,  and 
of  a  permanent  character.  His  plan  was  difficult  of  realiza- 
tion at  the  time  of  its  proposal,  yet  the  suggestions  were  so 
practical  and  valuable,  and  so  far  in  advance  of  the  conditions  of 
the  day,  that  we  are  only  beginning  to  see  their  realization. 

The  following  quotation  from  his  first  report  will  show  his 
proposed  plan  for  the  organization  of  the  university.  He 
wrote:  — 

"In  the  organization  of  the  university,  it  will  be  proper  and 
necessary  to  create  a  board  of  Regents  to  superintend  and  manage 
its  general  concerns.  The  powers  to  be  vested  in  this  board  and 
its  duties  may  and  ought  to  be  prescribed  by  law.  The  board  of 
Regents  shall  consist  of  the  Governor,  Lieutenant  Governor,  the 
Chief  Justice  and  Associate  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Chan- 
cellor of  the  State,  and  Chancellor  of  the  University,  who  shall 
be  ex  officio  members,  and  twelve  others  to  be  appointed  by  the 
legislature.  The  Secretary  of  the  State  shall  be  ex  officio  Sec- 
retary of  the  board.  The  Board  of  Regents  shall  have  the  power, 
and  it  shall  be  their  duty  to  enact  laws  for  the  government  of  the 
university,  to  confer  degrees,  to  appoint  a  Chancellor  and  all 
professors  and  tutors,  and  to  make  a  report  annually  to  the 
Board  of  Visitors."  There  were  to  be  three  departments  in  the 
institution : 

1.  The  department  of  science,  literature  and  arts. 

2.  The  department  of  law;  and 

3.  The  department  of  medicine. 

It  was  further  provided  that  the  Board  of  Visitors,  above 
referred  to,  should  consist  of  five  members,  and  should  be 
appointed  by  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  The 
Board  of  Regents  was  required  by  law  to  make  regular  reports  to 
this  board,  and  they  exercised  supervisory  powers  somewhat 
similar  to  those  exercised  by  the  similar  board  for  the  academies. 
We  are  again  reminded  of  the  Prussian  system  in  the  similarity 


ORGANIZED  EDUCATION  121 

between  the  board  of  visitors  and  the  council  chosen  by  the  min- 
ister of  education. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  trace  the  development  of  the  univer- 
sity farther.  Enough  has  been  given  to  show  that  Mr.  Pierce 
clearly  saw  the  present  and  future  needs  of  the  commonwealth, 
and  that,  with  the  development  of  the  natural  resources  of  the 
state,  the  demand  for  educational  facilities  of  the  higher  kind 
would  be  increasingly  greater.  Twenty  years  later,  he  said,  in  a 
public  address: — 

"To  perfect  our  school  system  and  render  it  complete  in  all  its 
parts,  the  University  of  the  State  must  take  and  maintain  a  high 
and  elevated  position.  It  must  be  the  polished  key  stone  of  the 
grand  arch;  it  must  be  adorned  with  all  the  graces  of  high  liter- 
ary attainments." 

Mr.  Pierce  held  the  opinion  that  the  office  of  superintendent 
of  public  instruction,  was  a  very  important  and  responsible  one, 
and  that  this  officer  should  be  endowed  with  extensive  powers. 
The  spirit  of  centralization  is  everywhere  apparent,  and  the 
Prussian  minister  of  instruction  was  his  model  in  the  formulation 
of  his  duties.  The  more  important  recommendations  in  respect  to 
this  officer  were  as  follows : — 

1.  To  submit  to  the  legislature  an  annual  report  exhibiting 
the  condition  of  the  university  and  of  the  primary  school  funds, 
also   of   the  primary   schools     and  of   the    university    and  its 
branches. 

2.  To  prepare  suitable  forms  for  making  reports  required  of 
district,  township,  academic  and  university  boards,  and  to  make 
all  suitable  regulations  for  conducting  all  proceedings  under  the 
law  relating  to  public  instruction. 

3.  To  appoint  the  prescribed  number  of  trustees  and  visitors 
in  the  different  academic  boards,  and  the  annual  board  of  visitors 
to  the  university. 

4.  To  take  charge  of  all  university  and  school  lands,  and  all 
other  property  reserved  to  the  state  for  the  purposes  of  educa- 
cation,  and  dispose  of  the  same  according  to  law. 

5.  To  invest  all  moneys  arising  from  the  sale  of  such  lands, 
as  directed  by  law. 


122  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

6.  To  apportion  the  income  of  the  university  fund  among  its 
branches  and  the  parent  institution,  and,  also,  the  income  of  the 
primary  school  fund  among  the  several  townships  and  cities  of  the 
state. 

7.  To  hear  and  decide  all  questions  arising  under  the  public 
school  system,  the  decision  when  made  to  be  final. 

In  no  other  way  did  Mr.  Pierce  display  so  great  ability  as  an 
organizer  as  in  the  administration  of  the  public  Junds  entrusted 
to  his  care.  He  favored  the  sale  of  land  and  the  careful  invest- 
ment of  the  proceeds,  the  income  from  which  should  be  faithfully 
devoted  to  the  support  of  schools.  That  he  did  this  well  is  shown 
by  the  results;  for  in  his  last  annual  report  to  the  Legislature  he 
shows  the  total  receipts  for  his  term  of  office  to  be$LS6,338.98,  of 
which  sum  $135,648  84  belonged  to  the  School  Fund,  and 
$50,690.14  to  the  University  Fund.  Of  this  sum  $117,860.45  was 
invested,  and  the  balance  applied  to  the  use  of  the  schools. 

In  conclusion,  the  work  of  organization    may  be  summarized 
as  follows: — 

1.  Mr.  Pierce  entered  upon  the  duties  of  Superintendent  of 
Public    Instruction,  fully  prepared  to   perform    its    duties.     He 
reinforced  this  preparation  by  a  careful  study  of  home  conditions 
and  foreign  influences. 

2.  The  system  was  conceived  as  a  unit  under  state  control, 
yet    not  removed  from  the  people,  who  were  made  to  feel  the 
responsibility  of  fostering  the  schools.     At  the  head  of  the  system 
stood  a  responsible  officer,  who  was  commissioned  to  exercise 
extensive  powers  of  administration. 

3.  The  plan  of  the  primary  schools  for  all  of  the  people,  the 
academies  for  secondary  education  and  the  preparation  of  teachers, 
and  the   university  for    higher   education   and  the    professions, 
paved  the  way  for  a  graded  system  with  all  of  its  attendant  insti- 
tutions. 

4.  The  public  school  fund  and  state  aid  to  education  empha- 
sized state  control,  while  necessity   for  direct  and  local    taxation 
fostered  direct  interest  in  the  schools  by  the  people. 

In  the  organization  of  the  school  system,  the  founder  always 
emphasized  the  necessity  of  a  centralized  agency,  and  never  lost 


ORGANIZED    EDUCATION  123 

sight  of  the  dignity  and  importance  of  his  office.  That  this  was 
true,  and  that  he  worked  with  an  intelligent  and  untiring  zeal,  is 
well  illustrated  by  a  remark1  of  his,  made  upon  the  floor  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1850,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to 
belittle  the  office  which  he  had  held  so  successfully: — 

"It  has  been  said,  I  understand,  that  the  office  of  Superinten- 
dent of  Public  Instruction  has  been  a  'sinecure*.  From  my  own 
personal  experience,  having  had  the  honor  to  fill  that  office  four 
and  a  half  years,  I  may  say  it  is  not  so.  During  that  time  I 
visited  every  organized  county  in  the  state,  and  drew  up  all  the 
laws  passed  in  that  year  in  relation  to  common  schools.  In  my 
first  report  I  advocated  that  system  which  the  state  should  adopt 
— that  is  the  free  school  system.  Why  is  it  that  Prussia  stands  at 
the  head  of  education  in  Europe?  For  the  simple  reason,  she  has 
a  Minister  of  Public  Instruction  to  superintend  and  foster  every- 
thing relating  to  the  education  of  her  people." 


1  See  report,  p.  535. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  JOURNAL  OF   EDUCATION 

The  Journal  of  Education,  founded,  edited  and  published  by 
John  D.  Pierce,  the  first  educational  paper  in  the  state  of  Mich- 
igan and  in  fact  in  the  whole  Northwest,  deserves  more  than  a 
passing  notice. 

Doubtless  but  few  teachers  of  the  present  generation  have 
ever  seen  a  copy  of  this  paper,  and  many  are  unaware  of  the  fact 
that  it  ever  existed. 

The  writers  have  had  the  rare  good  fortune,  through  the 
kindness  of  a  member  of  Mr.  Pierce's  family,  to  come  into  pos- 
session of  the  complete  files  of  this  journal,  and  are  in  this  way 
able  to  place  before  the  public,  for  the  first  time,  a  brief  analysis 
and  description  of  it.  By  setting  forth  its  character,  scope,  and 
value,  it  is  proposed  to  make  a  permanent  and  easily  accessible 
record  which  it  is  hoped  will  prove  of  value  for  reference,  and 
which  will  settle  all  controversies  regarding  the  history  of  the 
Journal. 

The  Journal  of  Education  was  printed  as  an  eight-page  paper, 
ten  by  twelve  inches  in  size,  with  three  columns  to  the  page.  It 
was  issued  as  a  monthly  and  was  continued  during  two  years. 
The  first  number  was  dated  Detroit,  Michigan,  March,  1838,  and 
was  edited  by  John  D.  Pierce.  This  arrangement  was  continued 
until  the  following  November,  when  Mr.  Pierce  associated  with 
himself  Francis  W.  Shearman,  later  superintendent  of  public 
instruction,  who  assumed  the  editorship,  a  position  which  he 
held  as  long  as  the  Journal  continued  to  be  published. 

Until  December,  1838,  the  Journal  was  printed  by  J.  S.  &  S. 
A.  Bagg,  Printers,  Detroit,  Michigan,  but  with  number  ten  of 
volume  one,  the  place  of  publication  was  changed  from  Detroit 
to  Marshall,  the  printing  being  done  by  Henry  C.  Bunce,  of  the 
latter  place.  The  terms  of  subscription  were  "for  a  single  copy, 

124 


n 


THE       MICHIGAN       JOURNAL      OF      EDUCATION 


JOURNAI,     OF    EDUCATION  125 

75  cents,  payable  in  all  cases  in  advance,"  and  Alexander  McFar- 
ren,  of  Detroit,  was  the  subscription  agent. 

Primarily,  the  Journal  of  Education  was  without  doubt  intended 
by  Mr.  Pierce  as  the  official  organ  of  the  State  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction,  to  be  used  by  that  officer  as  a  means  of 
communication  between  himself  and  the  subordinate  school  offi- 
cials. This  idea  was  probably  suggested  to  him  in  reading 
Mr.  Taylor's  introduction  to  Cousin's  report  of  the  Prussian 
schools;  moreover,  such  a  medium  seemed  to  be  necessary, 
owing  to  the  character  of  the  Michigan  School  System  and  the 
extensive  power  vested  in  the  superintendent.  In  conformity  to 
a  joint  resolution  of  the  Legislature,  the  Journal  of  Education 
was  sent  free  to  every  school  inspector  in  the  state,  but  no  pro- 
vision having  been  made  for  the  payment  of  postage,  it  was 
necessary  that  the  recipients  should  pay  one  shilling  postage  in 
order  to  receive  the  paper.  In  an  editorial,  Mr.  Pierce  criticizes 
some  of  the  inspectors  for  refusing  to  pay  this  sum,  and  deplores 
their  lack  of  interest  in  education.  In  the  second  place,  it  was 
designed  to  make  the  Journal  an  educational  magazine  that 
should  possess  a  marked  literary  aud  scientific  character.  In 
addition  to  the  circulars  of  information  and  official  instructions 
by  the  Superintendent,  the  editorials,  articles  on  education,  and 
selected  matter  were  of  a  character  calculated  to  arouse  interest 
and  afford  instruction  for  both  teacher  and  parent-  The  only 
advertisements  appearing  were  a  limited  number  of  book  notices. 
The  following  motto  appeared  at  the  heading  of  each  issue : 
"Omnibus  scientia,  sicut  omnibus  suffragia:  literis  enim  crescit 
respublica,  et  permanebit. " 

The  plan  of  the  paper  was  somewhat  as  follows:  The 
first  page  was  devoted  to  editorials  concerning  the  live  edu- 
cational questions  of  the  day.  They  were  carefully  prepared 
and  to  the  point  and,  without  doubt,  exerted  considerable  influ- 
ence in  shaping  public  opinion.  Following  the  editorials,  there 
was  usually  an  extended  article  or  address,  by  a  person  of  dis- 
tinction, upon  some  subject  relating  to  education.  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  circulars  of  information  issued  from  time  to  time  by 
the  superintendent,  interpretations  of  the  school  law,  com- 


126  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

municatioiis  and  answers  to  questions,  together  with  interesting 
items  of  school  news  from  other  states.  The  remainder  of  the 
Journal  was  filled  with  copied  articles,  from  the  pens  of  the  best 
writers  of  the  day,  selected  from  the  most  highly  literary  maga- 
zines. 

Space  will  not  permit  more  than  a  cursory  notice  of  the  char- 
acter and  scope  of  each  of  the  above  mentioned  departments,  but 
the  mere  mention  of  some  of  the  subjects  and  their  authors  will 
show  the  exceeding  high  grade  of  the  Journal  of  Education.  As 
one  reads  it  today,  almost  seventy  years  after  its  publication, 
there  is  the  conviction  that  it  would  rank  at  par  with  any  educa- 
tional paper  now  published. 

Professor  C.  E.  Stowe  had  been  commissioned  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  Ohio  to  visit  Europe  and  to  make  a  report  upon 
elementary  education.1  This  report  was  made  by  him  in  Decem- 
ber, 1837,  and  was  published  in  full  in  the  first  number  of  the 
Journal  of  Education. 

M.  Victor  Cousin  not  only  visited  and  made  reports  upon  the 
condition  of  the  Prussian  schools,  but  upon  those  of  other  Euro- 
pean countries  as  well.  They  were  translated  into  English  by 
Leonard  Homer,  of  London,  and  were  published  in  the  London 
Courier.  From  time  to  time,  these  were  printed  in  the  Journal. 
This  fact  must  have  exerted  no  little  influence  upon  Michigan 
schools,  as  it  kept  the  people  in  touch  with  European  school 
conditions. 

Four  pages  of  Number  One  are  taken  up  with  the  publication 
of  a  report  on  vocal  music  as  a  branch  of  common  school  educa- 
tion, by  T.  B.  Mason  and  C.  Bucher. 

There  appears  on  page  12  of  Vol.  1,  the  complete  text  of  an 
address  delivered  by  Mr.  Pierce,  at  Detroit,  on  January  3,  1835, 
before  a  "Convention  of  teachers  and  other  friends  of  universal 
education."  In  his  address  is  to  be  found  a  complete  exposition 
of  his  educational  doctrine.  On  page  76  of  Vol.  1,  there  may  also 
be  found  an  address  by  Mr.  Pierce  on  "The  present  condition 
and  future  prospects  of  Michigan."  This  was  given  before  the 

1  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Education,  1897-98.  Vol.1,  p.  622. 


THE;  JOURNAL,  OP  EDUCATION  127 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  of  Marshall.  His  masterly 
review  of  the  past  showed  his  remarkable  grasp  of  the  general 
affairs  of  the  state  and  nation,  and  his  predictions  for  the  future 
have  been  fullv  realized. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  more  extended  articles  which 
were  copied  from  different  sources: — Extracts  from  the  examina- 
tion of  Dr.  Nicholas  Henry  Julius  before  the  education  commit- 
tee of  the  British  House  of  Commons,  July  7, 1834;  Mr.  Bucking- 
ham's lectures  on  geography,  copied  from  the  New  York  Observer; 
and  a  series  of  articles  on  the  Abridged  History  of  England, 
taken  from  the  Juvenile  depository.  From  the  Tauton  Whig, 
we  find  a  speech  by  Governor  Everett,  delivered  at  a  meeting  of 
the  friends  of  education  at  Tauton,  Mass.  We  also  find  a  synop- 
sis of  a  lecture  by  Theodore  Dwight,  Jr.,  on  the  management  of 
a  common  school,  delivered  before  the  American  Institute  of 
Instruction,  at  Boston,  in  August,  1835. 

In  May,  1839,  Mr.  Crary  made  an  address  before  the  Calhoun 
County  Association.  This  speech  was  reported  in  full,  and  a 
perusal  of  it  convinces  the  reader  of  his  earnestness  in  the  cause 
of  general  and  universal  education,  of  the  liberality  and  breadth 
of  his  views  upon  the  subject,  and  of  his  thorough  endorsement 
of  the  work  of  Superintendent  Pierce. 

It  would  be  reasonable  to  suppose  that  something  would  appear 
regarding  Horace  Mann,  as  he  was  beginning  to  come  into 
prominence  about  this  time;  but  a  careful  search  reveals  only 
two  short  notices.  In  Number  12  of  Vol.  1  of  the  Journal  in 
speaking  of  some  periodicals  devoted  to  the  cause  of  education, 
we  read:  "Common  School  Journal,  edited  by  Horace  Mann, 
and  published  at  Boston.  First  number  just  issued."  In  the 
same  number  we  also  read:  "A  weekly  course  of  lectures  has 
been  commenced  in  Boston  by  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
friends  of  education  and  chiefly  practical  instructors.  Among 
them  are  the  Rev.  Jacob  Abbott  and  Horace  Mann,  Esq.,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Board  of  Education." 

Superintendent  Pierce's  circulars  to  school  inspectors  prove 
interesting  reading,  and  serve  to  show  strongly  the  executive 
side  of  his  character.  Reference  is  made  to  the  necessity  of  the 


128  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

preservation  of  school  lands  and  of  jealously  guarding  the  funds 
resulting  from  their  sale.  Instructions  are  given  relative  to  the 
formation  and  organization  of  new  districts,  the  opening  of 
schools,  and  the  local  administration  of  school  affairs.  Blank 
forms  for  school  reports  are  printed,  together  with  definite 
instructions  for  making  them.  In  the  supplement  number,  the 
full  text  of  the  school  law  is  printed,  together  with  explanations 
and  interpretations  of  it.  All  questions  referred  to  the  Superin- 
tendent are  fully  answered  in  the  Journal.  There  were  also 
printed  the  reports  of  a  number  of  important  meetings  that  were 
held  in  the  state. 

The  Michigan  Historical  Society  met  in  Detroit  Feb.  28,  1838. 
At  this  meeting,  Hon.  Lewis  Cass,  Minister  at  the  Court  of  France, 
presented  the  "Pontiac  Manuscript,"  narrating  the  circumstances 
of  a  conspiracy  to  take  the  Fort  of  Detroit  by  the  L,ake  Indians, 
in  1763,  and  Dr.  Z.  Pitcher  presented  an  original  Indian  deed  of 
the  date  of  1771  for  a  farm  in  Springwells.  Among  the  officers 
of  this  society,  we  find  the  names  of  John  Biddle,  C.  C.  Trow- 
bridge,  Dr.  Douglas  Houghton,  and  Dr.  Abram  Sager. 

Quite  an  extended  report  of  an  " Education  Convention," 
held  in  St.  Joseph  county,  is  printed:  This  convention  was  held 
for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  question  of  common  schools, 
and  to  discuss  the  merits  of  the  existing  school  laws.  The  per- 
sons participating  in  these  discussions  were  representative  citi- 
zens of  the  county.  Similar  meetings  were  held  in  Branch 
and  Calhoun  counties.  The  proceedings  of  these  and  other 
meetings  were  reported  by  Mr.  Pierce  himself,  and  he  seems 
always  to  have  been  an  active  and  interested  participant. 

It  has  been  with  great  interest  that  the  writers  have  examined 
large  number  of  articles  upon  all  kinds  of  scientific  subjects.  The 
range  of  subject  matter  is  exceedingly  extensive,  and  while  from 
the  present  standpoint  of  science  these  treatises  would  be  regarded 
as  inaccurate,  yet  they  served  a  valuable  purpose.  Agriculture 
and  gardening  were  given  much  attention,  and  it  is  easy  to  see 
here  an  anticipation  of  the  idea  of  the  school  garden  and  the 
teaching  of  agriculture  in  the  schools.  There  were  numerous 
articles  on  the  culture  of  the  sugar  beet,  in  which  the  advantages 


JOURNAL    OF    EDUCATION  129 

of  its  raising  were  fully  set  forth.  Much  space  is  devoted  to  all 
branches  of  natural  science  and  the  necessity  of  giving  them  a 
proper  place  in  the  school  curriculum  is  repeatedly  urged.  In 
one  place  Mr.  Pierce  writes:  "In  all  our  schools  fate  seems  to 
have  laid  its  heavy  hand  upon  the  study  of  the  sciences.  The 
ancient  and  modern  classics  occupy  by  far  the  greater  share  of 
attention;  but  this  ought  not  to  be  so."  This  quotation  was  the 
keynote  of  his  series  of  excellent  articles  pleading  for  the  teach- 
ing of  natural  science. 

Reference  should  be  made  to  the  high  moral  and  religious 
tone  given  to  the  paper.  The  highest  sentiment  pervades  every 
sentence  and  here,  as  in  no  other  place,  does  Mr.  Pierce  show 
his  firm  belief  in  the  home  and  school  as  the  two  institutions 
which  should  care  for  the  religious  teaching  of  children. 

The  Journal  of  Kducation  said  nothing  about  method  or  device. 
It  had  to  deal  with  the  larger  questions  of  the  principles  of  edu- 
cation. It  was  not  for  the  teachers  alone,  but  for  a  wider 
circle.  It  aroused  interest  in  education  and  stimulated  and 
inspired  activity  in  the  organization  of  schools,  and  thus  lead 
the  citizens  of  the  new  commonwealth  to  realize  the  best  in  their 
civilization  through  the  upbuilding  of  all  their  new  institutions. 

This  initial  movement  of  an  educational  publication  in  the 
Northwest  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  Mr.  Pierce's  greatest 
achievements. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
MR.  PIERCE'S  SECOND  APPEARANCE  IN  PUBLIC  LIFE 

When  Mr.  Pierce's  term  of  office  as  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction  expired  in  1841,  he  returned  to  Marshall,  and  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  The  record  of  his  life  for  the  next  few 
years  chronicles  nothing  of  special  importance.  He  had  not 
sought  popular  honors,  and  now  that  his  educational  work  was 
over  he  once  more  gladly  became  a  simple  villager  and  preacher. 
Public  affairs  interested  him  as  before,  but  he  followed  their 
development  from  his  study  and  his  farm. 

In  his  business  ventures  he  seems  to  have  been  pursued  by  a 
Nemesis  of  ill-luck,  which,  however,  was  not  able  to  shake  his 
equanimity  of  mind,  or  his  optimism.  In  the  midst  of  calamities 
he  was  patient  and  cheerful.  The  mill  at  Ceresco,  which  he  was 
interested  in,  did  not  pay,  and  in  a  few  years  collapsed  because 
of  a  poor  foundation.  His  farming,  too,  was  a  costly  experi- 
ment. The  farm  lay  along  the  Kalamazoo  River  and  contained 
about  a  thousand  acres,  which  he  and  some  other  men  owned  on 
a  syndicate  plan.  It  was  part  of  a  tract  of  1700  acres  which  had 
been  entered  upon  in  1831  bv  John  Bertram,  a  wealthy  English- 
man, who  thought  to  convert  it  into  an  estate  on  the  English 
model. 

Mr.  Pierce  brought  to  his  farming  scientific  notions,  many  of 
which  were  far  in  advance  of  the  day.  He  was  a  believer  in 
thoroughbred  stock,  and  at  great  expense  imported  from  New 
York  a  flock  of  high  grade  Merinos.  But  all  of  the  woolen  mills 
of  the  state  had  spindles  for  coarse  wool,  not  for  fine,  and  this 
venture  failed.  In  cattle  raising  and  dairying  he  was  more 
successful,  but  the  dishonesty  of  an  employee  ruined 
his  hopes.  A  large  herd  of  cattle  had  been  fattened  for 
the  Buffalo  market,  but  the  man  who  took  them  there 

130 


SECOND   APPEARANCE    IN    PUBLIC  I,IFE  131 

for  him  absconded  with  the  proceeds,  some  $1,900,  and  left  him 
to  settle  the  bills  out  of  his  own  pocket.  Another  year  he  put 
in  eighty  acres  of  wheat,  but  the  railrord  was  not  completed  to 
Marshall  as  soon  as  expected,  so  there  was  no  market  for 
the  crop.  Finally,  to  crown  the  long  series  of  calamities,  the 
other  members  of  the  syndicate  incurred  debts  without  his 
knowledge  and  left  him,  as  the  only  man  of  means,  to  adjust 
matters.  The  land  was  at  last  sold  to  satisfy  creditors. 

In  1847  Mr.  Pierce  was  elected  member  of  the  State  House  of 
Representatives,  and  at  once  began  to  take  an  active  part  in 
legislative  affairs.  His  work  as  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion had  made  him  prominent,  and  his  opinions  were  highly 
regarded. 

The  first  matter  to  which  he  gave  his  attention  was  the  ques- 
tion of  locating  a  new  capital  for  the  state.  By  previous  legisla- 
tive enactment  the  seat  of  government  had  been  fixed  at  Detroit 
till  1847,  when  it  should  devolve  upon  the  legislature  to  arrange 
for  its  permanent  location.  Mr.  Pierce  was  one  of  a  committee  of 
seven  in  the  House  appointed  to  report  upon  the  subject,  but  the 
feeling  grew  so  intense  that  the  committee  split  up  into  three 
groups  and  presented  three  reports.  Mr.  Pierce  stood  for  mak- 
ing Marshall  the  capital.  This  had  long  been  a  dream  of  Cal- 
houn  county,  and  almost  from  the  time  the  town  was  platted  a 
beautiful  site,  known  yet  as  Capitol  Hill,  had  been  reserved  for 
this  coming  glory.  All  of  Mr.  Pierce's  arguments  for  moving  the 
capital  from  Detroit  were  readily  accepted,  but  the  view  held  by 
the  majority  that  it  should  be  somewhere  north  of  the  line  of  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad  was  too  firmly  grounded  to  be  over- 
come. Finally,  after  much  lobbying  and  debate,  Lansing,  at  that 
time  only  a  point  in  the  wilderness,  where,  as  a  member  said, 
the  only  bells  heard  were  cow  bells,  was  settled  upon  and  the 
quarrel  ended. 

As  chairman  of  the  committee  on  federal  relations,  Mr,  Pierce 
was  instrumental  in  passing  a  resolution  instructing  the  Michi- 
gan delegation  in  Congress  to  oppose  the  introduction  of  slavery 
into  the  territories.  This  fact  should  be  known  now  in  view  of 
the  criticism  he  later  drew  upon  himself  during  the  progress  of 


132  JOHN    D.    PIERCE 

the  Rebellion.  He  was  always  uncompromisingly  opposed  to 
slavery,  and  many  documents  and  public  addresses  testify  to 
this;  but  he  believed  some  other  settlement  of  the  question  other 
than  by  the  sword  was  possible,  and  he  deprecated  the  national 
policy  and  war.  But  no  one  who  knew  him  well  could  ever  have 
doubted  his  patriotism.  He  came  of  a  fighting  stock. 
Pierces  had  fought  in  the  Revolution  and  the  War  of  1812.  His 
son,  James  Pierce,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  went  out  as  lieutenant 
in  the  Mexican  War,  and  died  from  hardships  endured  before 
the  war  was  over.  July  4,  1847,  Mr.  Pierce  delivered  an  address 
in  Marshall  which  closed  as  follows:  — 

"The  fortress  of  our  strength  is  union,  and  the  high  purpose 
must  be  the  permanency  and  improvement  of  our  institutions. 
To  be  great  the  whole  American  people  must  do  what  Taylor 
declared  after  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  'All  pull  together.' 
High  patriotism  and  a  noble  destiny  demand  it.  Then  there  will 
be  preserved  to  us  and  our  children,  and  ultimately  extended  to 
all  men  of  all  nations,  tongues  and  tribes,  what  is  now  the  glory 
of  our  land, — free  principles,  free  institutions,  and  free  govern- 
ment— thus  consummating  an  ancient  prediction:  'They  shall  sit 
every  man  under  his  vine,  and  under  his  fig  tree,  and  none  shall 
make  them  afraid.'  In  conclusion  I  give  you  this  sentiment: 
The  Union,  free  and  independent,  one  and  inseparable,  now  and 
ever,  with  a  free  government,  free  institutions,  free  religion,  free 
schools,  and  a  free  home  to  all  our  people." 

As  a  member  of  the  legislature  he  was  still  further  noted  for 
his  efforts  in  behalf  of  exemption  laws.  He  always  held  pro- 
nounced views  on  the  subject,  and  had  gained  some  notoriety 
back  in  the  years  when  the  legislature  met  in  Detroit  by  getting 
a  bill  passed  which  secured  a  team  from  exemption.  In  order 
that  this  might  be  done  the  value  of  the  team  was  limited. 
Opponents  of  the  bill  referred  to  it  as  "Pierce's  Pony 
Bill."  In  the  sessions  of  1847-48,  Mr.  Pierce  was  instrumental 
in  having  a  law  enacted  making  homesteads  exempt.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1848,  he  made  a  memorable  speech  in  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives on  the  subject.  In  it  occurs  a  paragraph  which  makes 
his  position  clear:  — 


SECOND  APPEARANCE   IN  PUBLIC  UFE  133 

"I  wish  to  see  the  adoption  of  a  system  of  legislation  that 
shall  care  not  merely  for  money  but  for  the  man — which  shall 
secure  a  home  to  every  man  and  his  family  who  shall  hereafter 
earn  one— to  put  it  beyond  the  reach  of  mere  contingencies  to  turn 
a  defenceless  family  into  the  street.  This,  Sir,  is  the  object  of  this 
bill — not  to  give  a  man  a  home,  but  to  preserve  it  to  him  when 
once  acquired." 

On  the  fourth  of  March  he  took  the  floor  again  in  behalf  of 
the  measure : — 

"And  I  apprehend  if  the  measure  proposed  in  the  original 
bill  is  adopted,  still  greater  good  will  result.  It  will  have  a 
tendency  to  create  an  independent  yeomanry  and  to  attach  men 
to  the  soil,  to  their  country;  to  remove  a  vast  amount  of  mental 
suffering  in  families.  And  is  this  of  no  consequence?  Those 
who  have  had  no  experience  in  these  matters,  whose  business 
has  not  led  them  into  contact  with  the  poorer  classes,  have 
no  conception  of  the  amount  of  distress  that  has  been  created  by 
our  oppressive  collection  laws.  During  the  half  century  that  I 
have  lived,  I  have  witnessed  much  of  it,  from  the  incarceration  of 
a  man  in  a  loathsome  prison  house  with  felons,  and  from  the 
turning  of  families  into  the  highway.  For  weeks  and  months, 
from  day  to  day,  the  wife  and  her  children,  the  widow  and  the 
orphan,  live  in  constant  expectation  that  the  final  process  of  law 
will  be  had,  and  then  where  to  go  they  know  not.  These  days 
are  passed  in  bitterness  and  tears,  with  many  sleepless  nights, 
for  such  things  cannot  be  done  without  producing  much  mental 
agony.  Sir,  I  would  not  be  the  occasion  of  that  suffering  in  a 
single  family,  'For  all  the  gold  that  sinews  ever  bought  and 
sold,'  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  many  who  have  been  sordid 
enough  to  perpetrate  such  oppression  have  themselves  by  a  just 
retribution  been  in  their  turn  reduced  to  the  same  object  of  pov- 
erty and  distress. 

"But  it  is  not  right  in  any  case.  Where  a  man  trusts  another, 
he  should  do  it  at  his  peril,  at  his  own  risk.  And  it  should  not 
be  the  policy  of  the  government  to  step  in  and  arm  the  creditor 
with  unlimited  powers  over  the  debtor 

"Now,  Sir,  I  wish  to  see  every  man  protected  in  his  home, 


134  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

the  strong  arm  of  the  government  thrown  around  him,  that  he 
may  have  occasion  to  love  his  country  and  its  institutions,  and 
not  to  curse  the  day  of  his  *birth  because  he  finds  himself  in  a 
land  bearing  down  his  spirits  and  crushing  his  energies,  and 
sending  him  out  upon  the  highway  a  wreck  and  a  vagrant.  .  . 

"But,  Mr.  Speaker,  before  I  close  I  wish  to  refer  to  one  objec- 
tion urged  on  all  occasions  against  liberal  measures,  urged 
against  this  bill,  urged  heretofore,  an  omnipresent  all-pervading 
objection — the  passage  of  this  bill  will  affect  our  already  utterly 
ruined  credit  abroad.  We  have  a  set  of  croakers,  and  ever  have 
had,  whose  croaking  is  as  perpetual  and  as  full  of  sense  as  the 
peeping  of  frogs  on  a  warm  evening  at  the  opening  of  spring. 
The  cry  is  that  the  credit  of  our  state  has  sunk  as  low  as  it  can 
be,  yet  we  are  told  that  there  is  a  still  deeper  abyss  to  which  we 
must  sink  if  this  bill  is  passed.  ...  I  affirm  and  can  prove 
by  facts  and  figures  the  reverse  of  all  this  to  be  true.  Our  credit 
abroad  at  the  present  time  is  better  than  that  of  any  other  new 
state,  it  has  been  too  good,  and  is  as  good  now  as  is  desirable." 

This  was  the  first  of  such  laws  in  the  United  States,  but  it  was 
not  long  before  others  similar  in  nature  were  found  on  the  statute 
books  of  almost  every  state  in  the  Union. 

In  the  year  1846  the  two  chief  lines  of  railroad  owned  by  the 
state,  the  Michigan  Central  and  the  Michigan  Southern,  were  sold 
to  Boston  capitalists.  At  that  time  the  Michigan  Central  extended 
as  far  west  as  Marshall.  In  the  years  immediately  following  the 
sale,  before  the  new  management  had  fairly  gotten  affairs  into 
smooth  working  order,  came  the  "Railroad  War,"  a  series  of 
suits  and  legal  actions  directed  at  the  Michigan  Central  Company 
for  its  failure  to  recognize  liability  for  damages  in  accidents 
occurring  along  its  right  of  way.  Mr.  Pierce  was  a  strenuous 
defender  of  the  rights  of  the  people,  and  published  in  the  Demo- 
cratic Expounder  of  Marshall,  a  series  of  letters  that  aroused 
much  comment.  Some  of  them,  we  suspect,  were  not  pleasant 
reading  for  officials  of  the  company.  For  instance  this,  from  an 
article  dated  June  25,  1849:— 

"The  road  has  been  for  a  long  time,  one  gore  of  blood.  No 
heathen  altar  ever  smoked  more  continually  with  the  blood  of  its 


SECOND  APPEARANCE:   IN   PUBLIC   i,ii?j$  135> 


victims.  Horses  and  oxen,  and  cows,  and  sheep  and  hogs  —  all 
free  commoners  by  law  —  the  road  not  fenced  —  and  yet  we  are 
told  that  the  owners  are  trespassers!  They  (The  Company) 
force  their  way  through  our  farms,  leaving  our  fields,  and 
meadows,  and  pastures  all  open  as  commons,  and  yet  we  are 
the  trespassers  if  our  stock  pass  over  the  road  of  their  high 
mightinesses,  and  liable  to  them  for  damage,  though  the  statute 
of  the  state  expressly  declares  no  such  liability  can  exist  where 
there  is  not  a  good  and  lawful  fence.  See  session  laws  of  1847, 
page  181.  Besides,  the  Company  have  upon  their  road  the  blood 
of  one  human  victim,  as  the  result  of  that  reckless  policy  which 
has  created  such  an  embittered  state  of  public  feeling  along  the 
whole  line.  His  blood  is  on  their  track,  and  they  cannot  wash  it 
away  ;  and  more  will  be  there  unless  something  be  done,  just  as 
sure  as  the  sun  rises  and  sets.  .  .  .  It  is  said  the  Company 
cannot  be  driven.  This  should  not  be  desired  or  expected.  But 
there  are  injured  persons  who  resort  to  violence  because  they 
know  no  other  way.  They  write  —  they  get  no  answer,  and  if 
any,  it  is,  'You  are  the  trespassers,  keep  your  cattle  off  the 
track.'  I  have  little  hope  that  any  reason  or  argument  which  is 
not  addressed  to  its  cupidity,  will  induce  a  moneyed  corporation 
to  change  its  course.  The  history  of  the  past  warrants  this  con- 
clusion. I  gave  it  as  my  opinion  to  Mr.  Brooks  more  than  two 
years  ago,  that  the  Company  would  find  themselves  precipitated 
upon  such  a  state  of  things  as  now  exists,  if  they  changed  from 
the  policy  of  the  state  in  paying  for  damage  done  to  that  of  non- 
payment. I  have  no  predictions  to  make,  but  I  give  it  as  my 
deliberate  judgment,  that  if  the  Company  persists  in  their  present 
policy,  they  will  sooner  or  later  arouse  such  a  spirit  and  energy 
of  purpose  along  the  whole  line  that  they  will  be  wholly  unable 
either  to  gainsay  or  resist  it.  And  it  is  clear  to  me  that  no  such 
powers  could  have  been  granted  to  the  Company  as  seem  to  be 
claimed.  The  I/egislature  has  no  authority  to  create  a  body  cor- 
porate within  the  limits  of  the  state  and  confer  upon  it  rights, 
the  exercise  of  which  would  bring  them  into  daily  collision  and 
conflict  with  its  citizens.  No  Legislature  could  have  been  so 
utterly  regardless  of  private  rights  and  the  public  peace.  Some- 


136  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

thing  must  be  done — the  honor  of  the  state, — its  good  name,  the 
reputation  of  our  citizens,  and  the  interests  of  the  Company,  all 
conspire  to  demand  it.  The  road  must  be  fenced — in  the  mean- 
time something  near  the  value  of  property  destroyed  must  be 
paid.  It  is  an  outrage,  and  evidences  utter  recklessness  of  life 
and  limb  of  both  man  and  beast  that  the  Company  should  run 
trains  over  an  unfenced  road,  where  all  cattle  are  by  law  free 
commoners,  at  the  rate  of  thirty  miles  per  hour.  Even  since  I 
took  up  my  pen  a  man  west  of  this  has  been  instantly  killed  and 
a  family  left  without  a  protector!  That  this  communication  may 
be  taken  for  what  it  is  worth  and  no  more,  I  subscribe  my  name 
to  it  in  full.  JOHN  D.  PIERCE." 

The  story  is  told  that  Mr.  Pierce  in  championing  the  cause  of 
a  poor  widow  who  had  had  a  yoke  of  oxen  killed  by  a  train, 
exasperated  Mr.  Brooks,  the  president  of  the  road,  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  sent  word  to  Marshall:  "Tell  that  parson  out 
there  he'd  better  stick  to  preaching."  Mr.  Pierce's  reply  was  an 
instance  of  militant  Christianity,  to  the  effect  that  if  the  railroad 
company  did  not  reimburse  the  woman,  he  would  see  to  it  that 
every  mile  of  track  in  Calhoun  county  was  torn  up.  Mr.  Brooks 
paid. 

As  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1850,  Mr. 
Pierce  succeeded  in  getting  his  homestead  exemption  law  incor- 
porated in  the  constitution  of  the  state,  where  as  Art.  XVI.  it 
has  since  remained. 

The  act  to  establish  a  normal  school  in  Michigan  became  a 
law  in  1849,  but  it  was  not  till  the  5th  of  October,  1852,  that  the 
first  of  such  schools  was  formally  opened  at  Ypsilanti.  Among 
the  many  distinguished  guests  present  on  that  occasion  were 
Gen.  I.  E.  Crary,  President  of  the  Board  of  Education,  and  Mr. 
Pierce.  Accompanied  by  their  wives,  these  gentlemen  had 
journeyed  over  from  Marshall, — Mr.  Crary  to  dedicate  the  build- 
ing, and  Mr.  Pierce  to  deliver  an  address.1  It  is  with  Mr. 
Pierce's  words  that  we  are  chiefly  concerned,  for  they  were 
almost  his  last  formal  utterance  on  education  to  the  people  of 

1  Report  of  the  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction.  1853,  p.  56. 


GRAVE      OF      GEN.       ISAAC       E.      CRARY 
MARSHALL      CEMETERY 


SECOND    APPEARANCE    IN    PUBLIC    WFB  137 

the  state.  Fifteen  years  before  he  had  laid  the  foundation  of 
our  school  system,  having  had  even  then  in  mind  a  place  in  the 
structure  for  just  such  an  institution  as  the  one  whose  dedication 
he  was  now  attending.  In  a  decade  and  a  half  such  progress 
had  been  made  that  it  is  no  wonder  he  was  in  an  exultant  mood, 
and  disposed  to  speak  on  the  theme,  "The  Perfect  School  Sys- 
tem," with  some  degree  of  assurance.  The  address  was  philoso- 
phical, but  at  the  same-  time  highly  pedagogical.  It  exploited 
no  chimeras  or  extravagant  notions,  but  dealt  with  fundamentals 
and  essentials.  The  concluding  sentiments  were  full  of  encour- 
agement, prophecy,  and  benediction : — 

"The  fruits  of  this  institution  must  appear  in  after  times. 
Under  good  management  and  wise  culture  they  may  entirely  be 
anticipated.  The  assemblage  here  is  a  good  omen,  and  is  evi- 
dence of  increasing  interest  in  the  subject  of  education.  Com- 
bined effort  is  highly  important.  Individuals  can  do  something 
— much  in  maturing  plans ;  but  to  produce  the  greatest  amount 
of  good  requires  the  active  energies  of  a  whole  people.  Sus- 
tained by  the  public,  the  institution  must  flourish.  Here  the 
wisdom  and  experience  of  the  day  will  be  exhibited,  and  the  best 
helps  to  facilitate  progress  near  at  hand.  Assembled  from  almost 
every  section  of  the  State,  teachers  and  others  will  bring  together 
theories  and  practices  of  variously  trained  and  constituted  minds. 
These  theories  and  diverse  practices  will  be  committed  to  one 
common  crucible,  and  submitted  to  the  test  of  experiment. 
Opinions  will  doubtless  be  rectified,  error  detected,  truth  elicited, 
darkness  dispelled,  and  new  light  thrown  upon  every  mind.  To 
pour  in  light  upon  the  understanding  is  the  grand  object  of 
instruction.  Whenlight  is  clear,  objects  are  distinct  and  visible, 

and  easily  seen What  our   teachers  need  is 

more  light ;  and  it  is  the  high  purpose  of  this  institution  to  fur- 
nish it  in  all  its  beauty  and  splendor.  How  many  gems  now  lie 
concealed  which  would  shine  with  utmost  brilliancy  could  they 
be  brought  to  light?  With  equal  propriety  it  may  be  asked,  how 
many  minds  of  the  first  order  that  would  do  honor  to  the  race 
could  they  be  enlightened  and  cultivated?  I/ight  is  hence  to  be 
reflected.  When,  therefore,  those  who  assemble  here  return  to 


138  JOHN   E>.   PIERCE 

their  homes  and  their  duties,  they  will  go  with  increased  qualifi- 
cations and  confidence  for  more  extended  usefulness. 

"To  the  guardians  of  this  institution  I  would  say,  Go  on, 
then,  in  the  noble  work;  falter  not  in  the  good  cause;  persevere, 
that  teachers  may  be  qualified  to  train  up  the  young  spirits  of 
our  country  to  high  and  elevated  sentiments;  to  form  noble  pur- 
poses; to  act  on  fair  and  honorable  ground;  leading  them 
onward  and  upward  to  virtue,  and  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  chief 
good — the  To-Kalon  of  the  ancient  Greeks;  that  ineffable  good 
which  Christianity  has  fully  revealed,  and  promised  to  the  pure 
in  heart  and  in  life.  In  this  clear  and  pleasant  light,  all  may  see 
and  not  walk  in  darkness.  Let  all  remember  this  noble 
sentiment  addresses  itself  to  each  and  every  one:  SHOW  THY- 
SELF A  MAN.  I/et  there  be  cooperation  and  concert,  and  united 
effort.  Education  is  common  ground.  All  parties  can  here 
meet;  all  sects  here  unite.  If  we  cannot  meet  on  this  ground, 
and  join  our  efforts  as  citizens  of  one  commonwealth  to  promote 
a  common  good,  we  can  meet  and  cooperate  nowhere  this  side  of 

the  grave It  is  required  of  stewards    that    they  be 

found  faithful.  Such  are  you ;  be  faithful  to  the  end.  And  then 
at  the  winding-up  of  the  great  drama  of  human  affairs— at  the 
final  consummation  of  all  things — when  the  Son  of  Man,  the 
judge  of  quick  and  dead,  shall  award  the  destinies  of  the  universe, 
the  grateful  plaudit  shall  be,  'Yours,  as  of  all  the  true  and  vir- 
tuous of  every  age  and  clime — Well  done,  good  and  faithful  serv- 
ants, Heaven  and  its  mansions  are  yours.'  " 


CHAPTER   XV. 


LAST  YEARS 
(IN  PART  PKRSONAI,   RBMINISCKNSES   BY   DR.    DANIEL   PUTNAM.) 

During  the  sessions  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1850, 
Mr.  Pierce  was  taken  seriously  ill  at  Lansing,  and  it  was  owing 
to  the  untiring  efforts  of  his  friend,  Dr.  Denton,  of  Ann  Arbor, 
that  he  recovered.  For  some  years  afterward  his  health  remained 
impaired, — it  seemed  as  if  the  exposures  of  frontier  life  were  now 
levying  a  belated  toll  on  his  ordinarily  vigorous  frame.  At  Mar- 
shall, bereavement  and  financial  reverses  had  come  to  sadden  the 
associations  of  his  residence  there,  and  he  longed  for  new  surround- 
ings. Accordingly,  in  1853,  he  removed  to  a  farm  just  outside  the 
city  limits  of  Ypsilanti,  where  the  recent  founding  of  the  Normal 
School  offered  good  opportunities  for  educating  his  children. 
Thereafter,  for  almost  thirty  years,  Ypsilanti  was  his  home. 

Compared  with  the  strenuous  activity  of  the  former  periods  of 
his  life,  his  residence  in  Ypsilanti  was  uneventful  and  tranquil. 
He  devoted  himself  to  the  interests  of  his  farm,  now  and  then, 
however,  accepting  an  invitation  to  preach  either  at  home  or  in 
neighboring  towns.  For  some  six  months  one  year  he  supplied 
the  pulpit  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Ypsilanti.  This  leisurely 
life  gave  him  opportunity  to  pursue  again  many  lines  of  reading 
and  study,  particularly  in  theology,  which  the  duties  of  earlier 
years  had  interrupted. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  he  became  very  much  impressed  with 
the  force  of  millenarian  doctrines,  and  was  greatly  interested  in 
the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  from  that  standpoint.  He 
enjoyed  very  friendly  relations  with  Dr.  John  Lord,  a  prominent 
divine  in  the  East,  and  it  is  reported  that  at  one  time  he  was 
offered  an  editorial  position  on  some  publication  conducted  by 
Mr.  Lord,  but  he  could  not  see  his  way  clear  to  accept  it.  He 

139 


140  JOHN  D.    PIERCE 

continued,  nevertheless,  to  be  an  enthusiastic  reader  and  admirer 
of  Mr.  Lord,  seeing  in  him  a  scholar  who  argued,  like  himself, 
for  a  reconciliation  of  science  and  theology.  Mr.  Pierce  occupied 
no  advanced  position  in  his  standards  of  Biblical  criticism. 
Though  he  had  tastes  for  many  lines  of  scientific  investigation 
— among  others  geology — he  never  cherished  any  doubt  concern- 
ing the  absolute  reliability  of  the  Scriptures,  and  accepted  them 
in  all  their  literalness,  in  spite  of  the  queries  which  science,  fifty 
years  ago,  even,  was  beginning  to  raise,  touching  many  things  of 
religion  and  faith. 

We  have  seen  that  as  a  boy  John  Pierce  was  religious — deeply 
so.  And  as  a  man  he  did  not  change.  But  his  piety  was  of  the 
staunch,  unyielding  type  of  the  Calvinist,  rather  than  of  the 
emotional  and  evangelistic  spirit  of  Wesley  or  John  Bunyan. 
With  him  a  religious  life  was  the  postulate  of  common  sense,  not 
the  product  of  feeling  or  occasion,  and  he  cultivated  it  as  one  goes 
about  a  business.  When  a  young  man  he  wrote  out  in  a  little 
book,  528  "Questions  on  Theology,"  with  arguments  that  remind 
one  of  Johnathan  Edwards.  It  is  interesting  as  showing  how 
rational  his  religious  life  was.  But  in  spite  of  all  of  this,  he  was 
not  unkind  or  unsympathetic  toward  others  who  did  not  see  as  he 
did — his  tolerance  and  benevolence  were  too  broad  for  that.  He 
had  endured  trouble  and  adversity, — that  was  bond  enough 
between  him  and  his  fellow  men. 

At  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  the  course  of  which  he  had  fol- 
lowed with  dire  forebodings,  he  removed  from  his  farm  into  the 
city  of  Ypsilanti.  His  only  surviving  son,  Augustus,  upon  whom 
he  was  coming  to  lean  more  and  more  as  the  years  slipped  by, 
died  about  this  time.  The  loss  was  a  cruel  blow  to  the  rapidly 
ageing  man,  who  had  been  no  stranger  to  the  havoc  of  death.  In 
December,  1865,  thinking  a  change  of  climate  might  prove  of 
benefit  to  his  health,  he  went  to  Florida,  but  all  the  advantages  of 
temperature  in  the  South  were  nothing  compared  with  the 
undeveloped  and  backward  conditions  prevailing  there.  The  next 
spring  he  returned  in  disappointment,  and  bought  the  home  in 
Ypsilanti  in  which  he  continued  to  reside  as  long  as  he  remained 
in  Michigan. 


I,AST    YEARS  141 

In  town  he  still  kept  up  his  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  for  a 
time  was  president  of  the  local  school  board.  He  was  a  regular 
attendant  during  those  years  upon  institutes  and  teachers'  meet- 
ings, and  entered  heartily  into  discussions  of  educational  prob- 
lems. He  was  getting  old,  but  getting  old  gracefully  and 
sweetly,  and  no  matter  whether  attending  some  debate  among  the 
young  men  of  the  Normal  School,  or  sitting  as  an  honored  guest 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  President  of  the  University  at  a  banquet, 
he  was  the  same  simple,  delightful,  gracious  old  gentleman. 

Various  attempts  had  been  made  by  his  party — he  was  a  staunch 
Democrat — to  draw  him  again  into  public  life,  and  more  than 
once  after  his  removal  to  Ypsilanti,  his  name  had  appeared  on  a 
state  ticket.  But  the  party  was  weak  in  the  years  immediately 
following  the  war,  and  he  always  met  defeat  along  with  other 
nominees.  Nevertheless,  for  two  years  in  the  60's  he  served  as 
Superintendent  of  Schools  for  Washtenaw  county,  and  did  all  his 
work  with  energy  and  effectiveness,  such  as  had  characterized  him 
in  an  earlier  period.  In  his  trips  over  the  county  his  daughter 
Sarah,  l  a  very  accomplished  young  woman,  usually  accompanied 
him,  and  proved  herself  to  be  a  very  able  assistant. 

His  educational  work  at  this  time  will  be  best  appreciated 
from  the  following"  Personal  Reminiscences,"  kindly  contributed 
by  Dr.  Daniel  Putnam,  of  the  Normal  College. 

"During  the  first  years  of  my  life  in  Michigan,  I  met  Mr. 
Pierce  occasionally  at  the  meetings  of  the  State  Teachers'  Asso- 
ciation and  elsewhere.  Of  bis  work  in  the  organization  of  the 
school  system  of  the  state,  I  had  at  that  time  only  a  very  indefinite 
and  general  knowledge. 

"In  the  year  1867  the  law  creating  the  office  of  county 
superintendent  of  schools  was  enacted,  and  under  this  law  Mr. 
Pierce  was  elected  Superintendent  in  Washtenaw  county,  as  I  was 
in  Kalamazoo.  The  progressive  school  men  of  the  state  were 
exceedingly  anxious  that  the  county  superintendency  should 
prove  successful.  It  had  been  secured  after  long  and  strenuous 
effort,  and  a  considerable  number  of  prominent  teachers  had 

1  Married  John  Graham,  of  Owosso,  in  1873;  died  1878. 


142  JOHN    D.    PIERCE 

allowed  themselves  to  be  candidates  for  the  office  on  account  of 
their  interest  in  the  appointment. 

"Very  soon  after  the  election,  State  Superintendent  Hosford 
called  a  meeting  of  the  newly  elected  superintendents  at  Jack- 
son. This  meeting  was  held  on  the  15th  and  16th  days  of  May, 
1867.  Superintendent  Pierce  was  made  chairman  of  the  tempor- 
ary'organization,  and  served  until  a  more  formal  and  permanent 
organization  was  effected  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  State  Teach- 
ers' Association.  My  real  acquaintance  with  Superintendent 
Pierce  commenced  at  this  Jackson  meeting. 

"In  September  of  the  next  year,  1868,  I  became  a  member  of 
the  Faculty  of  the  State  Normal  School,  and  removed  from 
Kalatnazoo  to  Ypsilanti.  From  that  time  on  I  was  a  neighbor  of 
Mr.  Pierce,  and  had  opportunities  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
him,  with  the  work  which  he  was  then  doing,  and  with  something 
of  the  work  which  he  had  done  at  an  earlier  period  in  the  organi- 
zation and  establishment  of  the  Michigan  public  school  system. 

"When  this  acquaintance  began,  Mr.  Pierce  had  passed  his 
seventieth  year.  The  .hardships  and  exposures  of  early  pioneer 
life  had  left  their  marks  upon  his  originally  vigorous  and 
stalwart  frame.  But  his  mental  strength  and  acumen  were 
unimpaired,  and  his  interest  in  educational  affairs  continued 
unabated.  He  believed  in  the  excellency  and  superiority  of  the 
public  school  of  the  state,  and  was  naturally  jealous  of  its  honor. 
He  was  not,  however,  blind  to  the  defects  and  shortcomings  of 
the  schools,  especially  of  the  common  rural  schools.  He  entered 
zealously  and  intelligently  into  the  work  of  the  county  super  - 
intendency.  He  saw  the  possibilities  of  the  system,  and  also  the 
dangers  to  which  it  was  exposed. 

"The  character  of  his  work  and  some  of  his  opinions  upon 
educational  affairs  will  be  best  comprehended  by  reference  to  the 
reports  of  what  he  did  and  saw  in  Washtenaw  county.  I  make  a 
few  excerpts  from  his  report  for  1867.  He  says:— 'I  have  held 
the  past  season  two  County  Teachers'  Institutes.  I  have  visited 
eighty-one  districts  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  and  fifteen 
rooms  of  graded  schools.  I  have  held  thirty-eight  examinations 
at  different  times  and  places;  207  applicants  have  been  examined, 


YEARS  143 

and  183  certificates  of  all  grade  given.'  These  items  show  the 
zeal  and  energy  with  which  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his 
office,  and  his  interest  in  the  progress  of  education  in  the 
county. 

"As  was  not  unnatural  at  this  period  of  his  life,  Mr.  Pierce 
was  inclined  to  what  most  people  called  conservatism;  he 
believed  in  progress,  in  improvement  in  means  and  methods  of 
teaching,  and  of  school  management;  especially  he  believed  in 
the  necessity  of  securing  a  higher  grade  of  qualification  in  teach- 
ers of  the  rural  schools.  If  he  ever  lost  patience  it  was  when  he 
saw  the  work  of  incompetent  teachers.  In  this  report  he  wrote :  — 
'How  preposterous,  and  even  cruel  and  wicked,  to  put  into  the 
schoolroom  incompetent  teachers!  It  must  not  be  done.  The 
waste  of  money  is  not  to  be  compared  with  the  loss  of  time  to  the 
rising  generation.' 

"In  the  matter  of  methods  of  teaching,  Mr.  Pierce  was  not 
always  hospitable  to  strangers  without  credentials.  He  wrote:  — 
'I  have  heard  a  vast  deal  the  past  twenty  years,  of  progress  and 
new  methods  of  teaching,  and  accordingly  have  been  greatly 
surprised  to  find  such  lamentable  deficiency  among  so  many  of 
our  teachers.'  He  gave  several  amusing  samples  of  the  answers 
written  by  teachers  in  his  examinations,  to  illustrate  the  woeful 
ignorance  and  lack  of  preparation  on  the  part  of  candidates  for 
positions  in  the  schools.  The  greatest  deficiency  he  found  was  in 
spelling;  he  insisted  that  the  pupils  of  to-day  were  more  deficient 
in  spelling  than  those  of  twenty -five  or  fifty  years  ago.  Some 
vigorous  discussions  upon  this  matter  took  place  in  the  meetings 
of  teachers  at  which  Mr.  Pierce  was  present,  the  younger  school 
men  being  disposed  to  resent  the  imputation  upon  the  character 
of  the  present  spelling. 

"Upon  the  matter  of  hobbies,  generally,  Mr.  Pierce  had  very 
decided  views,  and  was  very  outspoken  in  expressing  them.  He 
said:  'Is  not  this  a  day  of  hobbies?  We  have  the  grammar 
hobby,  with  a  set  of  new  illogical  terms;  the  defining  hobby;  the 
object  lesson  hobby;  the  drawing  and  map-drawing  hobby,  and 
various  others.  And  now  we  have  anew  one  coming  into  vogue, 
and  it,  too,  must  have  its  run.  I  may  add  that  the  peculiarity  of 


144  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

the  leading  hobby -riders  is— they  all  have  books  to  sell.  These 
things  have  a  relative  importance,  but  they  should  not  be 
allowed  to  crowd  out  weightier  matters.' 

"Possibly  these  brief  extracts  from  his  report  will  leave  an 
impression  that  Mr.  Pierce,  at  this  period  of  his  life,  was  dis- 
posed to  cling  somewhat  too  firmly  to  the  old,  and  to  oppose  the 
introduction  of  the  new.  A  statement  in  this  form  would  do  him 
injustice;  he  recognized  fully  the  deficiencies  of  the  old  schools, 
and  the  possibility  of  improvements;  but  he  did  not  sympathize 
with  the  idea  that  a  device  or  method  was  worthless  because  it 
was  old,  or  that  a  device  or  method  was  good,  simply  because  it 
was  new.  One  who  takes  this  view  is  liable  to  be  misunderstood 
and  classed  with  'back  numbers'  and  'old  fogies.'  Mr.  Pierce 
was  never  a  'back  number'  or  a  'fogy.'  He  consistently  believed 
in  testing,  or  'proving  all  things,'  and  holding  fast  to  that 
which  was  proved  to  be  good. 

"During  the  second  year  of  his  superintendency,  in  addition 
to  the  regular  work  which  devolved  upon  him,  and  was  more 
than  enough  to  tax  severely  his  physical  strength,  he  delivered  at 
Marshall  a  lecture  upon  'Early  Times  in  the  Territory  and 
State,'  and  published  an  'Address  to  Parents,'  and  another  to 
'Teachers  in  the  Primary  Schools'  of  Washtenaw  county,  His 
old-time  zeal  in  educational  work  still  possessed  him,  and  his 
services  were  of  great  value  both  to  schools  and  teachers. 

"After  the  close  of  his  term  as  County  Superintendent,  he 
still  retained  his  interest  in  school  affairs,  attending  with  con- 
siderable regularity  the  meetings  of  Teachers'  Associations,  and 
frequently  visiting  exercises  and  classes  in  the  Normal. School. 
He  had  delivered  the  principal  address  at  the  dedication  of  the 
first  building  of  the  school,  and  till  the  close  of  his  life  in  Michi- 
gan, maintained  a  peculiar  regard  for  that  institution.  When  the 
school  received  what  he  believed  to  be  unjust  criticism,  he  was 
always  ready  to  defend  it  with  voice  and  pen.  He  thought  of  it 
as  in  some  sense  a  child  of  his  own,  and  took  pride  in  its 
prosperity. 

"In  closing  these  brief  reminiscenses,  I  quote  from  an  address 
given  by  Mr.  Pierce  to  the  county  superintendents  at  a  meeting  in 


I,AST    YTSARS  145 

July,  1868,  to  show  the  sound,  practical  common  sense  and  good 
judgment  which  he  brought  to  the  solution  of  the  problems  pre- 
sented to  him,  and  also  the  tone  and  temper  of  his  mind.  In 
speaking  of  his  work  in  the  organization  of  the  school  system  of 
the  state,  and  of  the  fact  that  some  things  which  he  very  much 
desired  could  not  be  secured  at  that  early  time,  he  said: — 'In this 
connection  allow  me  to  suggest  that  the  question  with  the  states- 
man is,  not  what  I  may  like  to  do — what  I  may  wish  to  accom- 
plish, but  how  much  can  I  accomplish?  This  includes  an  appre- 
ciation of  all  the  circumstances  with  which  he  is  surrounded.  So 
with  the  teacher  when  he  enters  the  school  room.  What  he 
wishes  to  do  is  one  thing,  what  he  may  be  able  to  do  is  another 
and  a  very  different  thing.  He  must  examine  his  materials, 
measure  and  weigh  them,  before  he  can  decide  what  and  how 
much  he  can  do.' 

"In  closing  his  address,  Mr.  Pierce  said:  'I  have  thus  given 
you  a  mere  outline  of  the  past  of  Michigan,  so  far  as  its  educa- 
cational  interests  are  concerned.  No  state  ever  started  into  being 
with  so  many  warm  and  devoted  friends  as  our  state.  Five  of  the 
best  years  of  my  life  I  gave  to  the  work.  In  it  I  travelled  by 
night  and  by  day — on  one  occasion  five  whole  nights  out  of  eight 
— not  in  railroad  palaces,  but  in  lumber  wagons  and  stage 
coaches,  through  rain,  mud,  frost,  and  storm.  But  I  can  truly 
say  I  feel  myself  fully  compensated.  I  have  had  my  day,  or 
nearly  so.  My  work  is  nearly  done.  If  I  am  spared  to  go 
through  my  present  term  it  is  all  that  I  can  expect.  You  and 
each  of  you  will  have  your  day,  and  your  work.  But  of  all  work 
on  this  living  earth,  there  is  none  to  compare  with  teaching 
children  and  youth.  Gentlemen,  the  land  is  before  you.  Go  in 
and  possess  it.  The  field  is  broad  and  promising;  cultivate  it;  — 
a  rich  harvest  is  in  the  future.  The  guardianship  of  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  children  and  youth  is  committed  to  you.' 

"These  utterances  were,  in  some  sense,  the  final  benediction 
of  the  founder  and  father  of  the  public  school  system  of  the  state, 
addressed  to  his  associate  superintendents,  and  through  them  to 
the  great  army  of  Michigan  teachers.  One  may  be  glad  to 
remember  that  he  listened  to  them." 


146  JOHN  D.   PIERCE 

The  last  ten  years  of  life  in  the  state,  from  1870  to  1880,  were 
passed  in  the  peaceful  quiet  in  his  town  home.  His  health, 
which  had  not  been  good  for  twenty  years,  began  to  fail  now  more 
and  more.  But  his  mind  was  as  sturdy  and  vigorous  as  ever.  By 
the  close  of  the  decade  he  had  grown  so  feeble  that  it  seemed  best 
for  him  and  Mrs.  Pierce  to  give  up  their  home  in  Ypsilanti,  and 
go  to  live  with  the  last  of  their  children,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Emerson,  of 
Meadford,  Mass.  And  so  in  1880,  after  a  residence  in  Michigan 
of  almost  fifty  years,  Mr.  Pierce  returned  to  New  England.  For 
a  time  his  health  was  improved  by  the  change,  but  he  was  not 
quite  happy;  Massachusetts  was  too  rough  and  barren, — he 
missed  the  fields  and  fertility  of  the  West. 

In  1881  his  health  began  to  fail  again  from  aggravation  of 
asthma,  from  which  he  had  long  been  a  sufferer.  Some  six 
weeks  before  his  death,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  many 
Michigan  people  in  the  East,  he  attended  a  reunion  of  the  alumni 
of  Michigan  University  at  the  Vendome,  in  Boston.  He  was  hon- 
ored with  every  attention  on  this  occasion,  and  expressed  his 
appreciation  of  the  kind  reception  in  a  few  well  chosen  words. 
After  his  return  he  grew  rapidly  worse,  and  on  the  5th  of  April,  1 
1882,  passed  away. 

Mr.  Pierce  had  long  been  prepared  for  death,  but  even  when 
broken  in  body  he  had  cherished  no  undue  desire  to  quit  the 
world.  He  loved  life  and  living  with  a  consuming  zest,— he  had 
seen  so  much,  and  helped  create  so  much,  in  our  civilization, 
that  he  took  delight  in  what  this  civilization  meant,  and  he 
watched  it  in  its  unfolding  with  all  the  interest  of  a  man  in  the 
prime  of  life.  Michigan  was  dear  to  him,  and  when  at  last  he 
knew  the  hour  had  come,  he  could  not  die  content  till  he  had 
exacted  a  promise  that  he  should  be  buried  in  the  cemetery  at 
Marshall,  among  those  whom  he  had  loved  and  labored  with  in 
pioneer  days.  This  was  granted.  After  funeral  services  at 
Medford,  the  body  was  brought  to  Marshall,  where  services  were 
again  held,  in  charge  of  the  Masonic  order,  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  A  throng  had  assembled  to  do  honor  to  his  memory, 

1  The  date,  April  6,  on  the  monument  in  Marshall  is  incorrect,  the  mis- 
take being  due  to  the  undertaker's  certificate. 


GRAVE      OF      JOHN       D.      PIERCE 
MARSHALL,       MICH. 


LAST    YEARS  147 

and  a  long  line  of  carriages  followed  the  remains  to  the 
grave.  On  the  simple  monument  where  he  rests,  one  may 
read: — 

REV.  JOHN  D.  PIERCE 

DIED 

APR.  6,  1882 
AGED  85  YEARS. 

FOUNDER  OF  MICHIGAN'S 
SCHOOL  SYSTEM. 


ERECTED   BY  TEACHERS 

AND  PUPILS  OF  THE 
PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  OF  MICHIGAN. 

John  Davis  Pierce  lived  a  long  and  useful  life,  and  that  is  no 
mean  heritage  to  posterity.  But  he  was  able,  beyond  the  power 
of  most  men,  to  influence  the  cultural  development  of  a  great 
state,  and  for  that  reason  he  deserves  to  be  remembered.  He  was 
a  great  man,  viewed  from  any  angle  of  human  perspective, — 
great  in  physical  vigor  and  endurance,  great  in  ability  to  cope 
with  huge  problems,  great  in  mind  and  soul,  He  was  great,  too, 
in  his  simplicity,  a  noble  type  of  real  democracy.  Says  Professor 
Joseph  Estabrook,  himself  a  man  among  men,  in  a  letter  of  con- 
dolence to  Mr.  Pierce 's  daughter1— "I  have  learned  to  love  and 
respect  him,  as  I  have  loved  but  few  men  of  my  acquaintance.  I 
never  heard  him  speak  without  being  instructed  by  what  he  said. 
He  was  unostentatious,  modest,  and  pure  minded.  Few  men 
have  done  more  for  the  glory  and  prosperity  of  Michigan  than 
your  father;  and  very  few  in  coming  time  will  be  remembered 
with  greater  respect.  Among  the  last  things  he  said  to  me  after 
returning  from  Commencement  two  years  ago,  was:  'My  work 
is  done.  It  is  my  last  visit  to  the  University.  Others  must  build 
on  foundations  that  I  have  laid  with  much  conflict  and  strong 

i  Dated  from  Olivet.  Mich.,  Apr.  14,  1882. 


148  JOHN   D.    PIERCE 

opposition.'  He  further  said:  'Tell  the  people  when  I  am  gone, 
that  I  have  an  unwavering  faith  in  God's  Word.  I  believe  it  all 
from  Genesis  to  Revelation .  All  my  hope  for  the  future  rests 
upon  the  Saviour  there  revealed.'  " 

No  history  of  education  in  America  will  be  complete  that  does 
not  give  a  large  place  to  the  work  of  John  D.  Pierce.  He  belongs 
in  the  list  of  great  educators.  In  the  past  such  a  position  has 
not  been  accorded  him,  more  from  ignorance  and  indifference, 
we  think,  than  from  intent.  There  is,  alas!  as  yet,  no  well- 
defined  sentiment  in  our  state  and  nation  to  rear  monuments  to 
great  men,— not  even  monuments  of  appreciation  in  the  story  of 
our  progress.  Two  men  above  others  in  the  United  States — 
Horace  Mann,  and  Henry  Barnard,  have  been  given,  justly  so, 
great  distinction  in  American  education.  They  have  been  regarded 
as  pioneers,  as  path-finders,  in  the  development  of  pub- 
lic instruction,  and  their  fame  has  been  deserved.  But 
John  D.  Pierce  is  equally  worthy  of  honor  and  remem- 
brance, for  he,  too,  was  a  pioneer  in  the  great  work  of  schooling 
a  nation.  As^ President  Angell  says,1  "Henry  Barnard  did  not 
do  more  for  the  schools  of  Rhode  Island,  nor  Horace  Mann  for 
those  of  Massachusetts,  than  John  D.  Pierce  did  for  those  of 
Michigan."  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that  Henry  Barnard  and 
Horace  Mann  did  their  work  in  New  England,  the  home  of  cul- 
ture and  intelligence,  where  education  had  been  a  cherished  tra- 
dition for  two  centuries,  and  public  opinion  a  powerful  agent  in 
reform  for  at  least  two  generations.  John  D.  Pierce  had  as  a 
background  for  his  efforts,  the  wilderness,  and  in  the  midst  of 
chaotic  and  undeveloped  conditions,  among  struggling  and 
impoverished  settlers,  he  did  his  work.  The  school  system  he 
devised  and  put  in  operation  was  a  complete  one — so  complete, 
indeed,  that  it  might  almost  be  regarded  as  a  new  product. 
Surely  it  was  vastly  different  from  a  graft  on  an  old  trunk  which 
stood  deeply  rooted  in  a  fertile  soil.  We  are  proud  of  our  system 
of  public  education  which  John  D.  Pierce  inaugurated;  it  is  the 
crowning  glory  of  our  commonwealth. 

1  Oration  delivered  at  the  Semi-Centennial  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
1887. 


I.AST    YEARS  149 

There  are  some  who,  while  ready  in  general  to  acknowledge 
the  ability  and  achievements  of  Mr.  Pierce,  pronounce  him  only 
a  skilful  imitator  of  the  two  famous  New  England  educators. 
But  it  is  out  of  the  question  that  he  should  have  borrowed  ideas 
from  Henry  Barnard  who  did  not  become  school  commissioner  of 
Rhode  Island  till  1843.  And  as  to  being  an  imitator  of  Horace 
Mann — the  reverse  is  much  more  likely  to  have  been  the  case. 
Mr.  Pierce's  appointment  to  office  preceded  Mr.  Mann's  by  almost 
a  year ;  and  the  report  in  which  he  outlined  his  proposed  system 
of  education  for  the  state  was  issued  two  years  before  Mr.  Mann'a 
first  annual  report.  He  also  began  the  publication  of  The 
Journal  of  Education  almost  a  year  before  the  appearance  of 
The  Common  School  Journal  in  Massachusetts. 

No,  John  D.  Pierce  was  not  an  imitator;  he  was  an 
originator,  independent  in  strength  of  mind  and  soul,  and 
gifted  with  a  vision  keen  enough  to  discern  the  future  of  western 
culture  and  civilization.  And  we  can  do  no  better  than  live  up 
to  his  ideals. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


QUOTATIONS   FROM   MR.    PIERCE  S    EDUCATION Aly    WRIT- 
INGS 

The  following  terse  expressions  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Pierce 
will  not  only  serve  to  illustrate  the  character  of  the  man,  but  will 
give  the  reader  a  deeper  insight  into  his  broad  and  comprehen- 
sive views  upon  education  and  life: — 

"None  of  the  rich  treasures  of  learning  are  gained  by  inherit- 
ance; there  is  no  such  thing  as  innate,  inbred,  hereditary 
knowledge." 

"If  a  people  have  any  rights,  the  right  of  revolution  is  one  of 
them." 

"Every  human  being  has  a  right  to  a  good  education." 

"It  ought  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  education  of  a  child  is 
far  less  expensive  than  the  support  of  an  aged  criminal." 

"Ignorance  is  a  fearful  foe  to  freedom  ;Ibut  knowledge  without 
virtue  is  certain  death  to  the  republic." 

"We  must  educate,  or  forge  bars,  bolts  -and  chains." 

"He  that  provideth  not  for  his  own  hath -denied  the  faith  and 
is  worse  than  an  infidel." 

"The  blood  of  the  hard-handed  laborer  is  just  as  royal  as  that 
of  the  king  on  his  throne." 

"It  is  a  radical  error  to  contemplate  human  beings  merely  in 
the  mass." 

"The  neglect  of  one  individual  may  lead  to  the  neglect  of 
many  individuals." 

"So  long  as  the  principles  of  humanity,  a  love  of  justice  and 
equity,  reign  in  the  hearts  of  the  majority,  we,  as  individuals, 
are  free  and  safe." 

"Education  is  the  great  business  of  human  life." 
150 


QUOTATIONS  FROM  EDUCATIONAL  WRITINGS  151 

"  'Tis  education  that  makes  the  state  and  exalts  the  empire." 

"No  schools  are  so  expensive  as  private  schools." 

"Nothing  more  is  wanting  to  put  our  schools  on  high  and 
prominent  ground,  than  the  general  cooperation  of  the  public  and 
a  full  supply  of  well  qualified  teachers." 

"Progress  is  the  great  law  of  human  existence." 

"There  are  chords  in  every  human  heart  that  maybe  touched, 
and  vibrate  as  they  are  touched.  And  it  is  the  business  of  the 
teacher  to  do  it." 

"A  perfect  school  system  must  have  a  lliving  soul  and  the 
teachers  are  its  life  and  vital  energy,  its  prevading,  animating 
spirit." 

"A  thoroughly  trained  and  skilful  teacher,  with  the  most 
ordinary  books,  will  do  vastly  more  for  his  school  than  an 
incompetent  teacher  can  with  the  best  books  ever  written." 

"I  would  make  it  imperative  that  the  English  language 
should  be  taught." 

"A  child  old  enough  to  know  what  addition  is  and  how  to 
perform  the  process,  is  just  as  capable  of  understanding  the 
reason  why  one  is  carried  for  every  ten  as  any  teacher." 

"Nothing  can  compensate  for  the  want  of  purity  and  sim- 
plicity in  the  language  of  a  book  designed  for  the  youthful 
mind." 

"No  person  can  ever  be  a  good  teacher  and  be  successful,  who 
cannot  throw  himself  back  upon  the  days  oi  his  childhood  and 
youth,  and  call  up  a  vivid  recollection  of  his  own  history  in  the 
acquisition  of  knowledge." 

"Many  a  child  has  been  called  dull  and  stupid  because  he 
could  not  apprehend  the  meaning  of  a  proposition  made  of 
abstract  terms.  The  stupidity  and  dullness  were  the  teacher's 
own." 

"The  reason  why  children  read  large  portions  of  the  Bible 
with  interest,  is  because  they  understand  the  language.  In  this 
regard  it  exceeds  all  other  books." 

"Children  do  not  learn  the  meaning  of  words  from  books. 


152  JOHN  D.  PIERCE 

This  is  done  in  the  home  and  in  the  open  field,  in  connection 
with  nature." 

"Chiding  or  flogging  will  not  cure  the  uneasy  child." 

"Give  a  free  recess  after  each  hour  of  work." 

"The  people  have  a  right  to  expect  and  demand  that  every 
institution  created  by  law  and  sustained  by  them,  should  do  its 
duty." 

"I  am  in  favor  of  free  schools  and  I  hope,  before  I  pass  off 
the  stage,  that  I  shall  find  this  state  the  first  in  the  Union  in  the 
cause  of  education,  and  that  every  child  will  be  able  to  read  and 
write  and  to  feel  that  by  education  he  is  a  man." 

"Primary  schools  are  the  main  dependence  in  the  attainment 
of  the  ideal  government  of  the  people  by  the  people." 

"The  time  of  every  man  is  his  property  and  cannot,  either 
justly  or  constitutionally,  be  taken  and  given  to  the  public  with- 
out remuneration." 

"The  Prussian  System  originated  with  the  people.  The  gov- 
ernment arranged  the  material  already  existing  into  one  har- 
monious whole  and  extended  the  benefits  of  the  system  to  all 
parts  of  the  kingdom." 

"No  education  can  be  regarded  as  complete  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  agriculture." 

"Children,  as  well  as  men,  love  improvement." 

"Liberal  laws  and  institutions  constitute  the  glory  of  a  state." 


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51-422,  424,  425,  428,  430,  432,  447;  52-56;  57-259;  80-425. 

Salmon.     Education  in  Michigan  During  the  Territorial  Period . 
Michigan    Pioneer  and    Historical  Collections.     Vol. 
7,   p.  36. 
Land  Grants  for  Education.     Ibid.     Vol.  7,  p.  17. 

Sheldon.     The  Early  History  of  Michigan.     New  York,  1856. 
Thwaites.     Father  Marquette.     New  York,  1903. 
Tuttle.    History  of  Michigan.    Detroit,  1874. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  155 

LETTERS,  PAPERS,  ADDRESSES,  ETC.,  OF,  OR  RELAT- 
ING TO,  JOHN  D.  PIERCE 

528  Questions  on  Theology,     ca.     1825.     MS. 

Letters  addressed  to  Rev.  Enoch  Pond,  1826.     MS. 

Article  on  Temperance,     ca.     1830.     MS. 

Questions  and  Answers  in  Natural  Philosophy .     ca.  1825.     MS. 

Address  on  Education  before  citizens  of  Calhoun  Co.     ca.     1840. 

MS. 
Sermon   on    Text:     "But   bring  them   up   in   the  nurture  and 

admonition  of  the  Lord. ' '     1825 .     MS . 
Essay  on  Dugald  Stewart,     ca.     1824.     MS. 
Paper  on  Slavery,     ca.     1855.     32  pages.     MS. 
Sermon.     Psalms,  58:31,  ca.  1855  or  60.     MS. 
Oration.     (Printed) — delivered   at    Marshall,  July   4,  1847,  with 

late  MS.  additions. 
Extracts  from  Mimites  of  the  Oneida  Association,  Sangerfield, 

N.  Y.,  May  11,  12,  13—1830.     MS. 
Letter   addresses   to   Lisbon  Congregational   Society,    April  21 

1830.     MS. 
Transcript   of  Record  of  Oneida  Association.     Pamphlet,  MS. 

May,  1830. 
"The  Earth — Its  History  and  Final  Destiny."     Lecture,  MS. 

Marshall,     ca.     1840. 

"Proof  of  the  Existence  of  a  Supreme  Being."     MS.     ca.     1825. 
' '  The  Origin  and  Progress  of  the  Michigan  School  System . ' '   MS . 

1875. 
Letter  from  Hon.  Jos.  Estabrook  to  Mrs.  M.  A.  Emerson,  April 

7,  1882. 
Journal  of  Education.     Vols.  I,  II.     1838-39. 


INDEX 


Academy,  118, 119. 

Address  to  the  German  People.    Fichte. 

12. 

Alsted,  John,  9. 
Angell,  James  B.,  quoted,  148. 
American   Institute   of  Instruction, 

82. 

American  Students  in  Europe,  12. 
American     Academy    of    Arts    and 

Sciences  16. 
American  Renaissance  in  Education, 

14. 
American  Home  Missionary  Society, 

71. 

Arithmetic,  109. 
Aristotle,  7. 
Agriculture,  110.  128. 
Association  of  Ideas,  105. 
Astronomy,  Copernican  System  of,  7. 
Abbott,  Rev,  Jacob,  127. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  30. 
Allouez.  Claude,  22;  quoted,  23. 
Austin,  Mrs.  Sarah.  19. 
Authority,  6. 


Banking,  wild-cat,  86. 
Black-Hawk  War,  79. 
Battle  Creek,  75,  78. 
Barnard,  Henry,  148. 
Bagg,  J.  S.  &  S.  A.,  124. 
Bertram,  John,  130. 
Bird,  Captain,  27. 
Biddle,  John,  128. 
Bounty  lands  for  soldiers,  31. 
Brown  University,  60. 
Board  of  Visitors,  120. 


Board  of  Regents,  120. 
Board  of  Supervisors,  119. 
Bucher,  C.t  126. 
Bunce,  Henry  C.,  124. 


Cadle,  Rev.  Richard,  44. 

Crawford,  Rev.  R.  C.,  44. 

Cadillac,  25. 

Crary,  Isaac  E-,  19,  79,  127,  136. 

Calhoun  County  Association,  127. 

Classical  Education,  118. 

Cass,  General  Lewis,  31, 128. 

Catholepistemiad,  17,41,  48, 118. 

Cleveland,  Mary  Ann,  68. 

Cleveland,  General,  68,  75. 

Ceresco,  78,  130. 

Chesterfield,  56. 

Centralization.  50,  53. 

Cincinnati,  83. 

"Chicago  Pike",  32. 

Civilization.  Institutions  of,  92. 

Citizen,  Intelligence  of,!93. 

Civics,  110. 

Coureurs  de  dots,  25. 

College  of  Professional  Teachers,  83. 

Cooley,  Judge,  48. 

Cousin,  M.  Victor,  19,  126. 

Cousin's    Report    of    the  [Prussian 

Schools,  80. 

Constitutional  Convention,  80. 
Colonial  Schools,  14. 
Congregationalism,  73. 
Cholera,  76. 

Cogswell,  Dr.,  17;  quoted,  18. 
Common  School  Journal,  127,  149. 
Comenius,  John  Amos,  8,  9, 105, 


157 


158 


INDEX 


County  Teachers'  Institutes,  142. 
Course  of  Study,  20, 108. 
Church.  The,  89. 
Curriculum,  in  pioneer  days,  43. 


Dablon.  Claude,  22. 
Day,  Jeremiah,  83. 
Davidson,  Thomas,  quoted,  11. 
Detroit,  84  ;r  founding  of,    25;    early 

population,  33. 
Development,  99,  102,  105. 
Declaration  of  Independence,  11,  28. 
Detroit  Gazette,  29. 
Descartes  Rene,  8. 
DeTocqueville,  quoted,  36,  39,  44. 
Denton,  Dr.,  139. 
Democrat  Expounder,  78,  134. 
Dix,  John  A.,  82. 
Dilhet,  Father  John,  40. 
Dwight,  Theodore,  127. 
District  Board,  116. 


Estabrook,  Joseph,  147. 

Estabrook,  Millicent,  66. 

Edwards.  Jonathan.  140. 

Emerson,  Mrs.  M.  A.,  146. 

Exemption  laws,  132. 

Environment,  99. 

Emile,  The,  11. 

Edict  of  Nantes,  14. 

Erie  Canal,  32,  34. 

English  influence  on  America,  8. 

European  educational  tendencies,  6; 
influences,  14. 

Educational  principles,  88. 

Educational  method,  103.  ff. 

Educational  needs  in  1837,  20. 

Educational  Inheritance,  13. 

Educational  doctrine -Sources  of  Mr. 
Pierce's,  88. 

Education — universal,  7;  beginning 
of  modern,  7;  higher,  in  the  terri- 
tory, 41;  free  and  universal,  91; 
necessity  for,  95;  design  of,  96; 


ethical  basis,  97;  as  development, 
97;  definition  of,  101;  theory  of,  101; 
as  a  science  and  art,  102;  organized, 
114;  difficulties,  112. 


Franklin,  Dr.  Benjamin,  17. 

Fellenberg  school,  12, 18. 

Freedom,  7. 

Fellenberg,  17. 

French  influence  on  America,  8, 16. 

Fort  Pontchartrain,  25. 

Foster, Sarah  Davis  (Pierce),  Note,71. 

Frontenac,  24. 


Geography,  110. 

German  influence  on  America,  8, 17. 

Great  Didactic,  The,  9, 10. 

Griscom,  John,  18. 

Goshen,  71. 

Government,  stability  of,  91. 

Gymnasium,  119. 

H 

Harvard  College,  15. 

Hall,  Moses,  78. 

Harmony,  89. 

Hennepin,  quoted.  25. 

History,  110. 

Hosmer,  Edmund,  71. 

Hofwyl— Fellenberg's  School  at,  12. 

Home,  The,  95. 

Holden,  66. 

Hosford,  State  Superintendent,  142. 

Homestead  laws,  133. 

Homestead  exemption,  136. 

Houghton,  Dr.  Douglas,  128. 

Horner,  Leonaid,  126. 

Huron  Indians,  23. 

Hull,  General  William,  29,  30. 

Human  Rights,  150. 


Inflation,  86. 
Imagination,  105. 


INDEX 


159 


Inheritance,  98. 
Idea,  105. 

Ideal,  perpetuation  of,  5. 
Institute  of  Instruction,  82. 
Institutionalism,  10. 
Individuality,  7. 

Individual,  91 ;  relation  to  the  institu- 
tion, 90;  two-fold  function  of,  89. 
Ionia,  35. 

Iroquois  Indians,  23. 
Ignorance,  150. 
Instruction,  94, 101;  religious,  100. 


Jefferson,  Thomas,  16. 

Journal  of  Education,  18,  87,  124,  149. 

Jogues,  Isaac,  22. 

Juvenile  Repository,  127. 

Julius,  Dr.  Nicholas  Henry,  127. 


Kimbal,  Stephen,  76. 
Knowledge,  100,  104. 


La  Salle,  24. 

Land,  in  territory— price,  31. 

Lancasterian  School,  41. 

Lake  Superior— Lac  Tracy,  22. 

Lansing,  131. 

Language,  110. 

Leonard  and  Gertrude,  12. 

Learning,  process  of,  105. 

Libraries,  20,  51,  52, 117. 

Locke,  John,  8. 

Louis  XIV.,    7. 

Lord,  Dr.  John,  139. 

London  Courier,  126. 

Lusson,  Monsieur  de,  22. 

M 

Mackinac,  25. 

Madison,  68,  76. 

Mann,  Horace,  14,  83,  127,  148,  149. 

Marshall,  73,131,146. 


Mason,  Stevens  T.,  Governor,  81. 

Marcy,  William  L-,  82. 

Man,  rights  of,  91. 

Masonry,  70. 

Masonic  party,  67. 

Manitoulin  Island,  23. 

Marquette,  23. 

Marquette.  Jacques,  22,  23. 

Mason,  T.  B..  126. 

Memory,  105. 

Menard,  22. 

Mental  elements,  105. 

Meadford.  146. 

Method,    a    new    philosophical,     7; 

meaning  of,  106. 

Michigan,  organized  as  a  territory, 
27;   in  the  Revolutionary   War,  27; 
population  of,   32;    physical  condi- 
tions,  31 ;  school  system  an  evolu- 
tion, 47;  possibilities  of,  93. 
Michigan  Historical  Society,  128. 
Mississippi,  Discovery  of,  24. 
Minister  of  Public  Instruction,  53, 

Moravians,  The,  14. 

Moral  Powers,  105. 

Monarchies,  7. 

Monteith,  Rev.  Mr.,  41. 

Motive  of  early  settlers.  6. 

Morgan,  William,  67. 

McLaughlin,  Prof.,  quoted,  114, 

McCamley,  Judge  Sands,  38. 

Mcllvane,  Bishop.letter  to  Mr.  Pierce 
85. 

N 

National  Ideals,  5,  13. 

Nature,  105. 

Nature  Study,  110. 

New  York  Observer,  127. 

Newberry,  Mrs,  Elihu,  84. 

New  England  Review,  The,  79. 

New  England  Puritans,  14, 15. 

New  France,  21. 

Normal  Schools,  107,  119. 

Normal    School,     dedication    of,    at 
Ypsilanti,  136. 

Northwest  Territory,  21. 


160 


ISDBX 


Oak— the  Pierce,  81. 
Ottawa  Indians,  23. 
Ottawa  Mission,  22. 
Osband.  M.D.,  quoted,  34,  36. 
Organization,  summary  of,  121. 
Oswego  Normal  School,  18. 
Ordinance  of  1787.  28. 
Orthodoxy,  Mr.  Pierce's,  69. 


Paxton,  56. 

Park,  Prof,  Calvin,  61. 

Perception,  105. 

Pere  Sagard,  22. 

"Personal  Reminiscenses,"  by  Dr. 
Daniel  Putnam,  141. 

Pestalozzi,  11, 17,  18. 

Prentice,  George  D.t  79. 

Pioneer,  life,  32,  33;  The  house  of,  37; 
the  trials  of.  38;  school  house,  42; 
preacher,  43. 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  61. 

Pitcher,  Dr.  Z.,  128. 

Primary  Schools,  118. 

Pierce,  Gen.  Benjamin.  56. 
—Franklin  B.,  56. 
—Gad,  56. 
—David,  57. 
—Sarah  Davis,  56. 
—James,  132. 
—Rev.  Cyrus,  Note  107. 
—John  D.,  5;  quoted  8,  —  14,  18, 
19,  20,  42,46,  53;  ancestors,  56,  birth, 
56;   death  of  father,  57;  lives  with 
an  uncle.  57;    love  for  books,  58; 
"Stubborn  John."  58;  conversion.  59; 
preparation  for  college,  59;  gradu- 
ated  from    Brown    University,  60; 
principal  of  an  academy,  61;  studies 
theology,    61;   early    writings,    62; 
extract  from    sermons,     63;     first 
ministry  at  Sangerfield,  N.  Y.,  66; 
marriage  to  MillicentEstabrook,66; 
organized  a  school,  67;  a  Mason, 
67;  death  of  his  wife,  68;   trouble 


with  his  church,  68,  quoted,  68; 
marriage  to  Mary  Ann  Cleveland, 
68;  letter  to  Dr.  Pond.  69;  removed 
to  Goshen,  Conn.,  71;  appointed  a 
missionary,  71;  a  pioneer  in 
Michigan,  71;  first  sermon  at  Mar- 
shall, 74;  his  home,  75;  or- 
ganized First  Congregational 
Church,  76:  death  of  wife,  76; 
his  return  to  New  York,  76;  mar- 
iage  to  Harriet  Reed,  77 ;  return  to 
Michigan,  77;  meets  Gen.  Crary,  80; 
read  Cousin's  Report,  81;  appoint- 
ed Superintendent  of  Public  In- 
struction 81;  visits  the  East  to 
study  education,  82;  views  upon  the 
University,  86;  his  Educational 
Doctrine,  88  ff.;  meaning  and  aim 
of  Education,  96  ff. ;  summary  of 
Educational  views, 102;  his  practical 
work  as  teacher,  quoted,103;  Organ- 
ized education,  114,  ff.;  work  as 
Superintendent,  114;  his  problems, 
115;  his  reports,  115;  Journal  of 
Education,  124 ;  return  to  the  min- 
istry, 130:  business  failures,  130; 
member  of  the  legislature,  131; 
controversy  with  railroad,  134: 
gave  address  at  Ypsilanti,  136; 
member  of  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  1850,  136;  removed 
to  Ypsilanti,  139:  offered  edi- 
torial position,  139;  death  of  son 
Augustus,  140;  failing  health,  140; 
visits  Florida,  140;  religion  and 
politics,141 ;  County  Superintendent 
of  Schools,  141;  "Personal  Reminis- 
censes" by  Dr.  Putnam,  141;  from 
1870-1880,  146;  moved  to  Massachu- 
setts, 146;  death,  146;  grave  at  Mar- 
shall, 147;  quotations  from  his 
writings.  150;  place  in  history  of 
education,  148. 
Pontiac,  27. 

Pontiac  Manuscript,  128. 
Provincial  Consistory,  54. 


INDEX 


161 


Pond.  Rev.  Enoch,  59,  60,  61,  69. 
Prussian  School  System,  12,  106, 107, 

116,  118,  119,  152. 
Public  I,ands.  84. 

Putnam,  Dr.  Daniel,  quoted,  50, 141. 
Physiology,  110. 
Psychology,  104. 


"Questions  on  Theology,"  140. 
R 

Ratke,  9. 

Raymbault,  Charles,  22. 
"Railroad  War,"  134. 
Reading,  109. 
Reason,  105. 
Reed,  Miss  Harriet,  77. 
Report  of  Public  Instruction  in  Prus- 
sia, 19,  52  ff. 
Religion,  100. 

Richard,  Rev.  Gabriel,  40,  41,  44. 
Rousseau,  Jean  Jacques,  10. 
Round  Hill  School,  17. 
Royal  Consistory,  53. 


Starkweather,  John,  84. 

St.  Clair,  General,  27. 

Sault  Ste.  Marie.  22. 

Saint  Marie  du  Sault,  22. 

State   School  System,  constitutional 

provision  in  1835,  51. 
Sangerfield,  66. 
Sandusky,  32. 
State  Capital,  131. 
Sager,  Dr.  Abram,  128. 
Salaries,  108. 
State,  The,  89;  danger  to,  92;  spiritual 

creation,  93;  protection  of.  93. 
Self  effort  in  Education,  97. 
Sheldon,  Dr.  E.  A.,  18. 
Stewart,  Dugald,  63. 
Shearman,  Francis  W.,  124, 
Spelling,  109. 
Spirit  of  the  Pilgrims,  The,   69. 


at.  Ignace,    23. 

Science,  7, 129. 

Science  of  Education,  102. 

Sources  of  Mr.  Pierce's  educational 
doctrine,  88. 

Social  Contract,  The,  11. 

Stowe,  Prof.  C.  E-,  18. 126, 

School,  95;  grammar,  15;  elementary, 
15;  lands,  82;  funds,  distribution  of, 
116;  length  of,  51;  in  territory.  40, 
42;  organization  of,  20;  private,  151; 
agricultural,  20;  normal,  20. 

School  fund,  52. 

School  house  plans,  112,  118. 

School  lands,  51,  52. 

School  Inspectors,  117. 

School  District,  116. 

School  board— see  District  Board. 

Sugar  beet,  128, 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 
51,81,121. 


Tauton  Whig,  127. 

Training  of  teachers,  107. 

Taylor,  J.  Orville.  19,  52. 

Travel,  mode  of  in  early  Michigan,  34. 

Taylor,  P.  H.,  quoted,  35. 

Thames.'.Battle  of  the,  30. 

Treaty  of i  Westphalia,  9. 

Treaty  of  1763,  26;  1783,  27. 

Territorial  School  System — fonr  steps 
of  development,  47;  first  law,  47; 
Act  of  1817,  48;  Act  of  1821,  49;  dis- 
trict system,  49;  Act  of  1828,  50; 
summary,  50. 

Text-books,  20;  in  pioneer  days, 43; 
list  of,  111. 

Teacher,  Mr.  Pierce  as,  67,  71. 

Teachers'  wages  in  pioneer  days,  43. 

Teachers,  trained,  20,  52,  107,  118,  151. 

Thirty  Years'  War,  9. 

Ticknor,  George,  17. 

Tibbitts,  J.  S.  quoted.  42. 

Trowbridge,  C.  C.  128. 

Township,  117. 


162 


INDEX 


Thompson,  Rev.  O.  C.,  45,  74. 
U 

Universe,  The.  89. 
Universal  Suffrage,  94. 
University  of  Michigan,  17,  84,  120. 
University  Branches,  107. 


Vaudreil,  26. 
Vickers,  John,  38, 
Vicksburg,  38. 


Voyageurs,  25. 


W 


Watertown.  56. 

Wayne,  Anthony,  28. 

Wrentham,  61, 

Will,  105. 

Willard,  Hon.  George,  quoted,  38. 

Woodward,  Joseph,  16,  41. 

Worcester,  82. 

Y 
Ypsilanti.  84,  136,  139. 


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